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halberd-leaf or halberdleaf yellow violet, halberdleaf yellow violet

Japanese violet

Habit Plants perennial, caulescent, not stoloniferous, 5–30 cm. Plants perennial, acaulescent, not stoloniferous, 3–10 cm; rhizome thick, fleshy.
Stems

1(–2), erect, leafless proximally, leafy distally, glabrous or sparsely puberulent, from fleshy rhizome.

Leaves

basal and cauline;

basal: 0–1;

stipules ovate to lanceolate, margins laciniate with gland-tipped projections, apex usually acuminate;

petiole 3–11.5 cm, usually glabrous;

blade sometimes gray-green abaxially, usually mottled light green adaxially, widely or narrowly hastate to ovate, 2.5–4.4 × 1.8–3.2 cm, base hastate to cordate or truncate, margins serrate or crenate, ciliate or eciliate, apex acute, surfaces usually glabrous, sometimes scabrous;

cauline similar to basal except: leaves usually restricted to distal ends of naked stems;

petiole 1–2.5 cm;

blade 2–10 × 1.1–4.5 cm.

basal, ca. 5, ascending to erect;

stipules ± oblong, 2-fid, proximal margins entire, distal ± serrate, apex acuminate;

petiole narrowly winged distally, 1–14 cm, usually glabrous;

blade unlobed, broadly ovate or triangular-ovate, 3–8 × 3–5.5 cm, base cordate, margins crenate, usually eciliate, apex acute or ± obtuse, surfaces sparsely puberulent.

Peduncles

1–5.3 cm, usually glabrous.

3–6 cm, glabrous or pubescent, bracteoles near middle.

Flowers

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

petals lemon-yellow usually on both surfaces, lower 3 and sometimes upper 2 brownish purple-veined, lateral 2 bearded, lowest 9.5–12 mm, spur yellow to greenish, gibbous, 0.5–2 mm;

style head bearded; cleistogamous flowers axillary.

sepals broadly lanceolate, margins eciliate, auricles 6–8 mm;

petals light violet or whitish violet on both surfaces, lowest 3 occasionally white basally, often dark violet-veined, lateral 2 sparsely bearded or beardless, lowest 17–20 mm, spur pale to dark violet, elongated, 5–10 mm;

style head beardless; cleistogamous flowers present.

Capsules

ovoid to ellipsoid, 6–8 mm, glabrous.

ellipsoid, 8–10 mm, glabrous.

Seeds

beige to bronze, 2–2.5 mm.

unknown.

Gardens

and ruderal areas; 10–50 m; introduced;

Mass.;

Asia (China, Japan, Korea).

2n

= 12.

= 48.Flowering Apr–Jun.

Viola hastata

Viola japonica

Phenology Flowering late Mar–May. Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Rich woods, chiefly mountains and piedmont Gardens and ruderal areas
Elevation 50–2000 m (200–6600 ft) 10–50 m (0–200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; GA; KY; MD; NC; NY; OH; PA; SC; TN; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
MA; Asia (China, Japan, Korea) [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

V. B. Baird (1942) commented that Viola hastata is more closely related to V. glabella than to any eastern species.

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

Source FNA vol. 6, p. 133. FNA vol. 6, p. 134.
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. hallii, 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. 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. hallii, V. hastata, V. hirsutula, V. howellii, 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
Name authority Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 149. (1803) Langsdorff ex Gingins: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 1: 295. (1824)
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