Viola douglasii
Viola lanceolata
Douglas' golden violet, Douglas' or Douglas' golden violet, Douglas' violet, Douglas' yellow violet, golden violet
bog white violet, Howell's violet, lance-leaf or bog white violet, lance-leaf violet, strap-leaf violet, violette lancéolée, white bog violet
1–3, decumbent or ascending to erect, ca. 1/2 subterranean, glabrous or puberulent, from single, short, vertical, deep-seated caudex.
basal and cauline;
basal: 1–6, bipinnately compound, leaflets 3–5;
stipules adnate to petiole forming 2 linear-lanceolate wings, unlobed, margins entire, apex of each wing free, acute to acuminate;
petiole 5–6.8 cm, glabrous or puberulent;
blade ovate, 3.5–5 × 2.4–3.5 cm, base tapered, leaflets 3–5-lobed, lobes linear, narrowly elliptic, or oblong, 1–2.5(–5) mm wide, margins entire, usually densely ciliate, apex acute to obtuse, mucronulate, surfaces glabrous or puberulent;
cauline similar to basal except: stipules ovate to linear-lanceolate, margins entire or toothed, apex acute;
petiole 0.9–4 cm;
blade 1.1–4.1 × 1–3.6 cm.
basal, 2–6(–9), ascending to erect;
stipules linear-lanceolate, margins entire or irregularly lacerate (at least distally), apex acute;
petiole 2–12 cm, glabrous or pubescent;
blade unlobed, lanceolate or narrowly elliptic to nearly linear, 2.5–12 × 0.7–2.5 cm, longer than wide, base attenuate, margins serrate, mostly eciliate, apex acute, mucronulate, surfaces glabrous.
2–12.5 cm, glabrous or puberulent.
2–17 cm, usually pubescent.
sepals lanceolate, margins ciliate, auricles 0.5–1.5 mm;
petals light golden yellow adaxially, upper 2 dark brown to ± black abaxially, lower 3 dark brown-veined, lateral 2 bearded, lowest 8–21 mm, spur dark greenish to dark brown, gibbous, 1.5–2 mm;
style head bearded; cleistogamous flowers absent.
sepals ovate to lanceolate, margins mostly eciliate, auricles 1–2 mm;
petals white on both surfaces, lowest and sometimes lateral 2 purple-veined, lateral 2 sparsely bearded or beardless, lowest 7–12 mm, spur white, gibbous, 1–2 mm;
style head beardless; cleistogamous flowers on prostrate to ascending peduncles.
spherical to oblong, 5–12 mm, glabrous.
ellipsoid, 5–8 mm, glabrous.
light brown, 2.8–3.3 mm.
beige to bronze, 1.5–2.5 mm.
= 24, 48.
= 24.
Viola douglasii
Viola lanceolata
Viola douglasii is tetraploid (n = 12) south of, and octoploid (n = 24) north of, San Francisco Bay, California. It forms sterile hybrids with V. quercetorum (J. Clausen 1964). V. B. Baird (1936) described V. douglasii × purpurea, which Clausen later said was actually V. quercetorum, not described at the time of Baird’s publication.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Viola lanceolata occurs in small colonies; individual plants are interconnected by stolons.
Viola lanceolata subsp. vittata was recognized by N. H. Russell (1955) based on its linear leaf blade shape. The range in leaf blade shape appears to have no distinct line of demarcation. Some believe that leaf shape differences and near restriction to the coastal plain support recognition at some level. Studies are necessary to resolve this issue.
J. H. Shultze (1946) reported that Viola lanceolata was introduced into Washington in the early 1900s primarily from Cape Cod and Wisconsin as a result of importation of cranberry vines. In British Columbia, it is known from Lulu Island, where it was introduced from eastern North America (G. W. Douglas et al. 1998–2002, vol. 5).
Viola lanceolata reportedly hybridizes with V. primulifolia var. primulifolia (= V. ×modesta House) and V. macloskeyi (= V. ×sublanceolata House).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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