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Howell's violet, violette de Howell

arrow-leaf violet, arrowhead violet

Habit Plants perennial, caulescent, not stoloniferous, 2–44 cm. Plants perennial, acaulescent, not stoloniferous, 5–50 cm; rhizome thick, 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, 4–8, ascending to erect;

stipules linear-lanceolate, margins entire, apex acute;

petiole 2–13 cm, glabrous or pubescent;

middle and lateral blade lobes differ in width and/or shape, earliest blades ovate to elliptic, mid-season blades ovate, elliptic, narrowly elliptic to narrowly deltate, 1–8 × 1–5 cm, incised or lobed at base only, base sagittate or hastate, truncate, attenuate, or ± cordate, margins crenate or serrate, ciliate or eciliate, apex acute, surfaces glabrous or pubescent.

Peduncles

2.8–17.8 cm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent.

3–15 cm, glabrous or pubescent.

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

petals light to dark violet on both surfaces, lower 3 white basally, lowest dark violet-veined, lateral 2 densely bearded, spur on lowest petal occasionally bearded, lowest 10–15 mm, spur light to dark violet, gibbous, 2–3 mm;

style head beardless; cleistogamous flowers on prostrate, ascending, or erect peduncles.

Capsules

ellipsoid, 7–11 mm, glabrous.

ellipsoid, 10–14 mm, glabrous.

Seeds

light brown, 2.1–2.8 mm.

beige, mottled to bronze, 1.3–2.5 mm.

2n

= 40, 80.

Viola howellii

Viola sagittata

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jul.
Habitat Moist, shady areas, coniferous forests, prairies, along streams
Elevation 50–1500 m (200–4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; NB; NS; ON; PE; QC
[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.)

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Mid-season leaf blades: base sagittate, hastate, or ± cordate, surfaces glabrous or sparsely pubescent; sepal margins eciliate.
var. sagittata
1. Mid-season leaf blades: base truncate, attenuate, slightly sagittate or hastate, or ± cordate, surfaces usually densely pubescent; sepal margins ciliate.
var. ovata
Source FNA vol. 6, p. 134. FNA vol. 6, p. 155.
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. 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
V. sagittata var. ovata, V. sagittata var. sagittata
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 22: 308. (1887) Aiton: Hort. Kew. 3: 287. (1789)
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