Viola cuneata |
Viola affinis |
|
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northern two-eyed or wedge-leaf violet, northern two-eyed violet, wedge-leaf violet |
Le Conte's violet, sand violet, violette affine |
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Habit | Plants perennial, caulescent, not stoloniferous, 2–25 cm. | Plants perennial, acaulescent, not stoloniferous, 5–15 cm; rhizome slender, becoming thick and fleshy with age. |
Stems | 1–3, usually erect, sometimes prostrate or ascending, glabrous, from shallow, fleshy rhizome or deep-seated caudex with fleshy roots. |
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Leaves | basal and cauline; basal: 2–6; stipules lanceolate, margins entire or gland-toothed, apex acute; petiole 4.5–9.8 cm, glabrous; blade purple-veined, orbiculate-ovate to deltate, 1–4 × 2.7–3.8 cm, usually shiny, leathery, base cuneate, margins serrate, eciliate, apex acute, mucronulate, surfaces glabrous; cauline similar to basal except: stipules lanceolate to ovate, margins entire or erose to lacerate, with or without gland-tipped processes, apex acute to acuminate; petiole 0.5–20 cm; blade usually rhombic, sometimes orbiculate, 0.9–2.6 × 0.7–1.8 cm, margins crenate to ± serrate, apex acute to obtuse. |
basal, 1–6, ascending to erect; stipules lanceolate, margins entire or fimbriate, apex acute; petiole 2–10 cm, glabrous; blade green abaxially, unlobed, narrowly to broadly ovate or narrowly deltate, 1.5–10 × 1.5–10 cm, not fleshy, base cordate to broadly cordate or almost truncate, margins crenate to serrate, ciliate or eciliate, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces sparsely pubescent adaxially, rarely glabrous. |
Peduncles | 1–10.5 cm, glabrous. |
3–15 cm, glabrous or pubescent. |
Flowers | sepals lanceolate, margins eciliate, auricles 0.5–1 mm; petals deep reddish violet abaxially, white adaxially, upper 2 sometimes with purple patch basally, lateral 2 with purple patch basally beyond smaller yellow area, usually bearded, sometimes beardless, lowest purple-veined with yellow area basally, 8–14 mm, spur yellow, gibbous, 1–2 mm; style head bearded; cleistogamous flowers axillary. |
sepals lanceolate to ovate, margins ciliate or eciliate, auricles 1–2 mm; petals lavender-violet to dull reddish violet on both surfaces, lower 3 white basally and darker violet-veined, lateral 2 bearded, lowest 10–22 mm, usually obviously bearded, rarely beardless, spur white or same color as petals, gibbous, 2–3 mm; style head beardless; cleistogamous flowers from prostrate to ascending peduncles. |
Capsules | ± spherical, 5–9 mm, glabrous. |
often reddish or purplish-flecked or green, ellipsoid, 5–10 mm, glabrous or puberulent. |
Seeds | deep brown-purple, 2.1–3 mm. |
beige, mottled to bronze, 1.5–2.5 mm. |
2n | = 54. |
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Viola cuneata |
Viola affinis |
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Phenology | Flowering Mar–Sep. | Flowering Apr–Jun. |
Habitat | Open pine or oak forests, often serpentine soil | Open or wooded wet areas, meadows, stream banks, thickets, shores of lakes, seasonally dry areas. |
Elevation | 600–2200 m (2000–7200 ft) | 100–2000 m (300–6600 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; OR
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CT; DC; DE; IL; IN; MA; MD; MI; MN; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; VA; VT; WI; WV; ON; QC |
Discussion | Viola cuneata often occurs on serpentine-derived soil and is closely related to V. flettii, V. hallii, and V. ocellata (V. B. Baird 1942). Originally described as beardless by Watson, the lateral petals of flowers in the same population can be prominently bearded or essentially beardless. The cauline blades of Viola cuneata are often vertical, especially early in season. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
L. E. McKinney (1992) considered Viola affinis, and much of what botanists had called V. nephrophylla, to be essentially the same taxon. After studying additional specimens, reviewing literature (H. E. Ballard 1994; A. Haines 2001b), and discussions with others (J. Cayouette, H. E. Ballard, A. Haines, pers. comm.), he chose to maintain these as separate taxa. Reports of V. affinis in the Gulf coastal states based on specimens or photographs are usually attributable to V. missouriensis. Viola affinis reportedly hybridizes with V. hirsutula (= V. ×consobrina House), V. cucullata (= V. ×consocia House), V. brittoniana (= V. ×davisii House), V. sororia (= V. ×filicetorum Greene [as species]), V. sagittata var. sagittata (= V. ×hollickii House), and V. nephrophylla (= V. ×subaffinis House). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 6, p. 129. | FNA vol. 6, p. 120. |
Parent taxa | Violaceae > Viola | Violaceae > Viola |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | V. affinis var. subarctica, V. crenulata, V. sororia subsp. affinis, V. sororia var. affinis, V. subviscosa, V. venustula | |
Name authority | S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 14: 290. (1879) | Leconte: Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 2: 138. (1826) |
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