Viola hirsutula
Viola striata
southern woodland violet
cream or cream-white or pale or striped or striped cream violet, creamy violet, striped cream violet, striped white violet, violette strièe
1–4, ascending to erect (often declining during anthesis), glabrous or pubescent, on caudex from fleshy rhizome.
basal, 2–4, prostrate or nearly so;
stipules linear-lanceolate, margins entire, apex acute;
petiole 1–10 cm, usually glabrous;
blade unlobed, reniform to ovate, 1–6 × 1–5 cm, base cordate, margins serrate, ciliate or eciliate, apex rounded, adaxial leaf surface with silvery strigose patches.
basal and cauline;
basal: 2–6;
stipules lanceolate to narrowly deltate, margins laciniate, apex acute;
petiole 3–6 cm, glabrous or puberulent;
blade ovate to reniform, 2–7 × 1–2.5 cm, base cordate, margins crenate to serrate, ciliate or eciliate, apex obtuse to acute, surfaces glabrous or pubescent;
cauline similar to basal except: stipules lanceolate, margins laciniate;
petiole 3–7 cm;
distal blades ovate to deltate, 1–6 × 1–4 cm, base cordate, apex acuminate to acute.
2–12 cm, glabrous.
5–12 cm, glabrous or pubescent.
sepals lanceolate to ovate, margins ciliate or eciliate, auricles 1–2 mm;
petals light to deep reddish violet to blue-violet on both surfaces, 3 lower whitish basally, dark violet-veined, lateral 2 densely bearded, lowest 11–17 mm, spur violet, gibbous, 2–3 mm;
style head beardless; cleistogamous flowers on prostrate to ascending peduncles.
sepals lanceolate, margins ciliate or eciliate, auricles 2–3 mm;
petals white or cream on both surfaces, without yellow patch basally, lowest and usually lateral 2 purple-veined, lateral 2 and sometimes all densely bearded, lowest 10–18 mm, spur white, gibbous to elongated, 3–6 mm;
style head bearded; cleistogamous flowers axillary.
ellipsoid, 8–12 mm, glabrous.
ellipsoid, 6–7 mm, glabrous.
beige, mottled to bronze, 1–1.5 mm.
beige to bronze, 1.5–3 mm.
= 54.
= 20.
Viola hirsutula
Viola striata
Viola hirsutula exhibits little phenotypic plasticity. Although considered by N. L. Gil-Ad (1997) to be a putative hybrid, he did not identify the potential parents and chose not to recognize it. A. Cronquist in H. A. Gleason and Cronquist (1991) considered V. hirsutula a form of V. villosa. Viola hirsutula is considered one of the more distinct species throughout its range by McKinney because of the pattern of silvery strigose patches on adaxial leaf surfaces and a more prostrate growth habit than similar species. He believes V. hirsutula is one of the least variable species in the flora. Viola hirsutula appears to occur much less frequently than herbarium collections suggest. Some herbarium specimens are misidentified and represent depauperate plants, usually of V. sororia. These specimens are often hairy on the adaxial leaf surfaces but lack the silvery patches.
Viola hirsutula reportedly hybridizes with V. sororia var. sororia (= V. ×cordifolia [Nuttall] Schweinitz) and V. sagittata var. sagittata (= V. ×redacta House).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Dead, long-persistent stems of Viola striata are often present the following season. In flower, the plants are often mistaken for V. canadensis because the petals are whitish (H. E. Ballard 1992).
Viola striata reportedly hybridizes with V. labradorica (= V. ×eclipes H. E. Ballard), V. rostrata (= V. ×brauniae Grover ex Cooperrider), V. walteri var. appalachiensis (= V. ×wujekii H. E. Ballard), and V. walteri var. walteri (= V. ×cooperrideri H. E. Ballard).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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