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Viola hallii

Hall's violet, Oregon violet, wild pansy

coast violet, coastal violet, northern coastal violet

Habit Plants perennial, caulescent, not stoloniferous, 5–22 cm. Plants perennial, acaulescent, not stoloniferous, 5–30 cm; rhizome thick, fleshy.
Stems

1–3, decumbent or ascending to erect, ca. 1/2 subterranean, glabrous, clustered on single, short, vertical, deep-seated caudex.

Leaves

basal and cauline;

basal: 1–4, palmately compound, ± 2-ternate or 3-ternate, leaflets 3;

stipules adnate to petiole, forming 2 linear-lanceolate wings, unlobed, margins entire, apex of each wing free, acute;

petiole 5–8 cm, glabrous;

blade ovate to deltate, 2.8–6 × 2.6–6.5 cm, ± coriaceous, base tapered, ultimate lobes narrowly elliptic, lanceolate, or oblanceolate, 1–7 mm wide, margins entire, ciliate or eciliate, apex acute, mucronulate, surfaces glabrous;

cauline similar to basal except: stipules usually lanceolate, sometimes broadly ovate, ± leaflike, margins toothed;

petiole 1.3–6 cm;

blade 2–4.8 × 1.2–5.5 cm.

basal, 5–9, ascending to erect, 5–9-lobed;

stipules linear-lanceolate, margins entire, apex obtuse;

petiole 3–16 cm, usually glabrous;

mid-season blades incised or lobed throughout, earliest blades lobed (plants homophyllous), similar to mid-season blades, middle and lateral blade lobes differ in width and/or shape, middle lobes lanceolate or spatulate to narrowly obovate, lateral lobes lanceolate or spatulate to falcate (each sometimes with deltate to falcate appendages or teeth along margins), 1–7 × 2–8 cm, base truncate to cordate, margins entire, ciliate, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces usually glabrous, rarely with a few strigose, hairs concentrated on veins.

Peduncles

2.5–11 cm, glabrous.

5–18 cm, usually glabrous.

Flowers

sepals lanceolate to ovate, margins ciliate, auricles 0.5–1 mm;

petals: upper 2 almost black abaxially, dark reddish violet adaxially, lower 3 pale yellow, cream, or ± white, lateral 2 bearded, with deep yellow to orange patch basally, dark reddish violet-veined, lowest with deep yellow to orange patch basally, dark reddish violet-veined, 5–18 mm, spur yellow, gibbous, 0.5–2 mm;

style head bearded; cleistogamous flowers absent.

sepals lanceolate to ovate, margins ciliate or eciliate, auricles 2–3 mm;

petals light to soft reddish violet on both surfaces, lower 3 white basally, dark violet-veined, lateral 2 bearded, lowest 10–25 mm, sometimes bearded, spur same color as petals, gibbous, 2–3 mm;

style head beardless; cleistogamous flowers on ascending to erect peduncles.

Capsules

ellipsoid, 4–12 mm, glabrous.

ellipsoid, 10–15 mm, glabrous.

Seeds

light brown, shiny, 3.2–3.5 mm.

beige, mottled to bronze, 1.5–2.5 mm.

2n

= 60, 72.

= 54.

Viola hallii

Viola brittoniana

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jul. Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Open forests, grassy hills, chaparral, frequently serpentine or gravelly soil Alluvial woods, mesic forests on slopes near streams, wet fields, salt meadows
Elevation 500–2100 m (1600–6900 ft) 0–100 m (0–300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CT; DE; MA; MD; ME; NC; NJ; NY; PA; SC; VA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Viola hallii was discovered on the grounds of Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, by Elihu Hall, a professor at that institution (V. B. Baird 1942). Leaves of V. hallii are similar to V. beckwithii.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Britton considered Viola brittoniana similar to V. pedatifida, apparently making him the first to recognize their affinity. Both are homophyllous and similar in other characters (L. E. McKinney 1992). McKinney recognized V. brittoniana as a variety of V. pedatifida. Additional evidence (N. L. Gil-Ad 1997; A. Haines 2011) suggests that these taxa are sufficiently distinct to continue recognition as separate species.

Viola pectinata has sharply dentate leaves and is closely related to V. brittoniana, usually occurring with it. N. L. Gil-Ad (1997) made a convincing argument to recognize it as a form; A. Haines (2011) recognized it as a species. Others have considered it to be a sporadic form that may be of hybrid origin, or, as N. H. Russell (1965) suggested, is due to genetic dimorphism. We are reserving a decision on treating this taxon until additional studies are completed.

A. Haines (2011) reported that the distribution of Viola brittoniana in Maine is actually based on the hybrid V. ×insolita House (V. brittoniana × V. sororia).

Viola brittoniana reportedly hybridizes with V. cucullata (= V. ×notabilis E. P. Bicknell), V. sagittata var. sagittata (= V. ×mulfordiae Pollard), and V. sororia (= V. ×insolita).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 6, p. 133. FNA vol. 6, p. 125.
Parent taxa Violaceae > Viola Violaceae > Viola
Sibling taxa
V. adunca, V. affinis, V. arvensis, V. bakeri, V. beckwithii, V. bicolor, V. biflora, V. blanda, V. brittoniana, V. canadensis, V. canina, V. charlestonensis, V. clauseniana, V. cucullata, V. cuneata, V. douglasii, V. egglestonii, V. epipsila, V. flettii, V. frank-smithii, V. glabella, V. guadalupensis, V. hastata, V. hirsutula, V. howellii, V. japonica, V. labradorica, V. lanceolata, V. langsdorffii, V. lithion, V. lobata, V. macloskeyi, V. missouriensis, V. nephrophylla, V. novae-angliae, V. nuttallii, V. ocellata, V. odorata, V. orbiculata, V. palmata, V. palustris, V. pedata, V. pedatifida, V. pedunculata, V. pinetorum, V. praemorsa, V. primulifolia, V. prionantha, V. pubescens, V. purpurea, V. quercetorum, V. renifolia, V. riviniana, V. rostrata, V. rotundifolia, V. sagittata, V. selkirkii, V. sempervirens, V. septemloba, V. sheltonii, V. sororia, V. striata, V. subsinuata, V. tomentosa, V. tricolor, V. trinervata, V. tripartita, V. umbraticola, V. utahensis, V. vallicola, V. villosa, V. walteri
V. adunca, V. affinis, V. arvensis, V. bakeri, V. beckwithii, V. bicolor, V. biflora, V. blanda, V. canadensis, V. canina, V. charlestonensis, V. clauseniana, V. cucullata, V. cuneata, V. douglasii, V. egglestonii, V. epipsila, V. flettii, V. frank-smithii, V. glabella, V. guadalupensis, V. hallii, V. hastata, V. hirsutula, V. howellii, V. japonica, V. labradorica, V. lanceolata, V. langsdorffii, V. lithion, V. lobata, V. macloskeyi, V. missouriensis, V. nephrophylla, V. novae-angliae, V. nuttallii, V. ocellata, V. odorata, V. orbiculata, V. palmata, V. palustris, V. pedata, V. pedatifida, V. pedunculata, V. pinetorum, V. praemorsa, V. primulifolia, V. prionantha, V. pubescens, V. purpurea, V. quercetorum, V. renifolia, V. riviniana, V. rostrata, V. rotundifolia, V. sagittata, V. selkirkii, V. sempervirens, V. septemloba, V. sheltonii, V. sororia, V. striata, V. subsinuata, V. tomentosa, V. tricolor, V. trinervata, V. tripartita, V. umbraticola, V. utahensis, V. vallicola, V. villosa, V. walteri
Synonyms V. atlantica, V. baxteri, V. brittoniana var. pectinata, V. pectinata, V. pedatifida subsp. brittoniana, V. pedatifida var. brittoniana
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 8: 377. (1872) Pollard: Bot. Gaz. 26: 332. (1898)
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