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Howell's violet, violette de Howell

alpine marsh violet, marsh violet, northern marsh or marsh or swamp or alpine marsh violet, northern marsh violet, violette des marais

Habit Plants perennial, caulescent, not stoloniferous, 2–44 cm. Plants perennial, acaulescent, stoloniferous, 3–21.5 cm; stolons pale, often rooting and leafy at nodes; rhizome slender, fleshy.
Stems

1–4, ascending to erect (sometimes later reclining to nearly prostrate), glabrous or sparsely pubescent, on caudex from subligneous rhizome.

Leaves

basal and cauline;

basal: 1–6;

stipules linear-lanceolate to oblong, margins mostly entire or laciniate with gland-tipped projections, apex acute to acuminate;

petiole 4–15 cm, glabrous or sparsely puberulent;

blade ovate to reniform, 1.9–6.8 × 2.1–6.4 cm, thin, base cordate, margins crenate, ciliate, apex acute to usually obtuse, surfaces glabrous or sparsely puberulent;

cauline similar to basal except: stipules linear-lanceolate or deltate to oblong, apex acute or long-acuminate;

petiole 1–4.5 cm;

blade 2–5.1 × 1.2–5.8 cm.

basal, 2–4, ascending to erect;

stipules linear-lanceolate, margins entire, apex acute;

petiole 1–17 cm, glabrous;

blade unlobed, reniform or ovate to orbiculate, 0.5–6.4 × 0.5–5.5 cm, ± as long as wide, base cordate, margins crenulate, eciliate, apex obtuse to acuminate, surfaces glabrous.

Peduncles

2.8–17.8 cm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent.

2–20.7 cm, glabrous, bracteoles usually below middle in chasmogamous flowers.

Flowers

sepals lanceolate, margins ciliate or eciliate, auricles 1–2 mm;

petals violet to soft blue-violet on both surfaces, whitish basally, lower 3 dark violet-veined, lateral 2 densely bearded, lowest 14–23 mm, spur blue-violet to whitish, gibbous to elongated, 2.4–5 mm, usually less than 1/2 lowest petal, tip straight;

style head bearded; cleistogamous flowers axillary.

sepals ovate or lanceolate, margins eciliate, auricles 1–2 mm;

petals lilac, pale blue, or pale violet on both surfaces, sometimes nearly white and tinged with lilac, lowest and sometimes lateral 2 dark violet-veined, lateral 2 bearded or beardless, lowest 8–16 mm, spur usually same color as petals, gibbous, 1–3 mm;

style head beardless; cleistogamous flowers on ascending peduncles.

Capsules

ellipsoid, 7–11 mm, glabrous.

ellipsoid, 6–10 mm, glabrous.

Seeds

light brown, 2.1–2.8 mm.

dark brown, 1–2 mm.

2n

= 40, 80.

= 48.

Viola howellii

Viola palustris

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jul. Flowering Apr–Jul.
Habitat Moist, shady areas, coniferous forests, prairies, along streams Marshes, swamps, fens, wet forests, stream banks, brushy places, lowlands to subalpine zones
Elevation 50–1500 m (200–4900 ft) 0–1800 m (0–5900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; CO; ID; ME; MT; NH; NV; OR; SD; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; MB; NL; NT; NU; ON; QC; SK; Greenland; Eurasia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Viola howellii is similar to V. adunca and usually occupies moister habitats along the western side of the Cascade Mountains (H. E. Ballard 1992). The first documented record of this species in California was recently reported from Siskiyou County (R. J. Little 2010).

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

Viola palustris occurs in small colonies; individual plants are interconnected by stolons. When flowering, usually three or more leaves are present per caudex.

M. Sorsa (1968) noted that in western North America Viola palustris specimens differ from European V. palustris plants and often show variation in character combinations. She stated (pers. comm.) that North American V. palustris is not a uniform entity.

E. Hultén (1968) synonymized Viola palustris with V. epipsila, as did W. J. Cody (2000). G. W. Douglas et al. (1998–2002, vol. 5) recognized both species. We assume that V. palustris does not occur in Alaska; verification is needed. See additional discussion under 18a. V. epipsila var. repens.

M. Sorsa (1968) indicated that Viola palustris var. brevipes has often been confused with V. blanda and that var. brevipes may have arisen from hybridization between a tetraploid and a diploid plant. Listed here in synonymy, var. brevipes may warrant recognition.

Reports of Viola palustris from one location in Coconino County, Arizona, first collected in 1962, likely refer to V. macloskeyi.

Viola palustris hybridizes with V. epipsila var. repens (M. Sorsa 1968; T. Marcussen and T. Karlsson 2010).

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

Source FNA vol. 6, p. 134. FNA vol. 6, p. 142.
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. hastata, V. hirsutula, 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. 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. 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. palustris subsp. brevipes, V. palustris var. brevipes, V. palustris var. leimonia, V. palustris var. pensylvanica, V. palustris subsp. pubifolia
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 22: 308. (1887) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 934. (1753)
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