Viola labradorica
Viola prionantha
alpine violet, American dog or Labrador or alpine violet, American dog violet, dog violet, Labrador violet, violette du Labrador
Japanese violet
1–5, erect (later reclining), glabrous, on caudex from subligneous rhizome.
basal and cauline;
basal: 1–5;
stipules mostly lanceolate-linear, margins usually laciniate with gland-tipped projections, apex acute;
petiole 1–9.5 cm, glabrous or puberulent;
blade reniform or ovate to deltate, 1.4–5.5 × 1.8–5.3 cm, base cordate, not decurrent on petiole, margins crenate or serrate, mostly eciliate, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces usually glabrous, sometimes pubescent adaxially near margin;
cauline similar to basal except: stipules lanceolate to ovate, margins ± entire or laciniate, projections often gland-tipped, apex acuminate;
petiole 0.5–3.6 cm, glabrous;
blade narrowly ovate to orbiculate, 1.8–2.9 × 1.5–3.1 cm, base deeply cordate to truncate, margins regularly crenate, apex obtuse to broadly rounded or apiculate.
basal, 6–22, ascending to erect;
stipules linear-lanceolate, margins remotely denticulate, apex acuminate;
petiole 1–13 cm, narrowly winged distally, glabrous or puberulent;
blade unlobed, oblong-ovate, ovate-lanceolate, or narrowly ovate, 1–4.5(–10) × 0.6–2(–4) cm, base usually truncate, sometimes ± cordate or broadly cuneate, margins crenulate, ciliate or eciliate, apex obtuse or ± acute, surfaces glabrous or puberulent.
5–9 cm, glabrous or pubescent.
2.5–6 cm, glabrous, bracteoles near middle.
sepals lanceolate, margins ciliate or eciliate, auricles not enlarged in fruit, 1–1.5 mm;
petals usually lavender-violet to violet on both surfaces, rarely white, lower 3 white basally, darker violet-veined, lateral 2 sparsely bearded, lowest 9–16 mm, spur white to pinkish violet, elongated, 4–8 mm, tip usually straight, sometimes curved up;
style head beardless; cleistogamous flowers unknown.
sepals lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, margins ciliate or eciliate, auricles 1–2 mm;
petals light violet or purple on both surfaces, rarely all white, lower 3 dark violet-veined, lateral 2 beardless or sparsely bearded, lowest 14–25 mm, spur pale to dark violet, elongated, 6–9 mm, tip hooked up;
style head beardless; cleistogamous flowers present.
ovoid to ellipsoid, 5–7 mm, glabrous.
narrowly ellipsoid, 5–12 mm, glabrous.
beige to bronze, 1.5–2 mm.
dark brown, ca. 2 mm.
= 20.
= 48.
Viola labradorica
Viola prionantha
H. E. Ballard (1994) made a compelling case for including Viola conspersa within V. labradorica, which is followed here. Ballard (1992) did not recognize V. labradorica as occurring in Colorado. Several western herbaria have collections identified as V. labradorica (ASC, CS, KHD, RM, RMBL; http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/index.pho). Labels on some collections at KHD imply that V. labradorica is considered synonymous with V. adunca var. bellidifolia.
Viola labradorica reportedly hybridizes with V. adunca, V. rostrata (= V. ×malteana House), and V. striata (= V. ×eclipes H. E. Ballard), and less frequently with V. walteri var. appalachiensis and var. walteri.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
In 1952, plants of Viola initially identified as V. patrinii were collected and reported by C. T. Rogerson to be established in lawns on the campus of Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, where they are still found. S. B. Rolfsmeier recently determined that these plants are V. prionantha. R. B. Kaul reported that V. prionantha occurs along roadsides in Kansas and is also established in the floodplain of the North Platte River in Nebraska, where it was first collected by him in 1992.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Go Botany
IL Wildflowers
MD Biodiversity
MI Flora
MN Wildflowers
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
KS Wildflowers
