Viola cuneata |
Viola missouriensis |
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northern two-eyed or wedge-leaf violet, northern two-eyed violet, wedge-leaf violet |
Missouri violet |
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Habit | Plants perennial, caulescent, not stoloniferous, 2–25 cm. | Plants perennial, acaulescent, not stoloniferous, 5–50 cm; rhizomes thick, fleshy. |
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, 1–8, ascending to erect; stipules linear-lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, margins entire, sometimes distally glandular, apex acute; petiole 5–20 cm, glabrous; blade green abaxially, unlobed, usually narrowly to broadly deltate, 1.5–12 × 1.5–10 cm, not fleshy, base cordate or broadly cordate to truncate, margins ± crenate to serrate, ciliate or eciliate, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces glabrous, rarely pubescent. |
Peduncles | 1–10.5 cm, glabrous. |
3–25 cm, usually glabrous. |
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 light to dark blue-violet, lowest and sometimes lateral 2 purple-veined, lateral 2 bearded, lowest beardless, rarely lightly bearded, 15–25 mm, spur same color as petals, gibbous, 2–3 mm; style head beardless; cleistogamous flowers on prostrate to ascending peduncles. |
Capsules | ± spherical, 5–9 mm, glabrous. |
ellipsoid, 5–12 mm, glabrous. |
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 missouriensis |
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Phenology | Flowering Mar–Sep. | Flowering Mar–May. |
Habitat | Open pine or oak forests, often serpentine soil | Swamps, thickets, stream banks, alluvial woods |
Elevation | 600–2200 m (2000–7200 ft) | 50–2000 m (200–6600 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; OR
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AL; AR; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; LA; MD; MN; MO; MS; NC; NE; NJ; NM; OK; SC; SD; TN; TX; VA; WI
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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.) |
What many have treated as Viola affinis, especially in the southern Gulf coastal states, is likely to be V. missouriensis. N. H. Russell (1965) considered the two as likely part of a species complex inhabiting alluvial woods and wet areas and exhibiting the typical deltate leaf blade shape. L. E. McKinney (1992) considered V. missouriensis a variety of V. sororia. Viola missouriensis appears to have a closer affinity to V. affinis, as Russell suggested; current evidence suggests maintaining V. missouriensis as a separate species. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 6, p. 129. | FNA vol. 6, p. 138. |
Parent taxa | Violaceae > Viola | Violaceae > Viola |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | V. candidula, V. langloisii, V. lucidifolia, V. sororia var. missouriensis | |
Name authority | S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 14: 290. (1879) | Greene: Pittonia 4: 141. (1900) |
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