Viola labradorica
Viola villosa
alpine violet, American dog or Labrador or alpine violet, American dog violet, dog violet, Labrador violet, violette du Labrador
Carolina violet, southern woolly 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, 4–9, prostrate to ascending;
stipules linear-lanceolate, margins entire, apex acute;
petiole 3–10 cm, densely pubescent;
blade unlobed, reniform or ovate to elliptic, 1–8 × 1–5.5 cm, base cordate, margins serrate, ciliate, apex rounded to acute, mucronulate, surfaces densely pubescent.
5–9 cm, glabrous or pubescent.
4–10 cm, puberulent.
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 to ovate, margins ciliate, auricles 1–2 mm;
petals light to dark blue-violet on both surfaces, lower 3 white basally and dark violet-veined, lateral 2 bearded, spur sometimes bearded, lowest 10–20 mm, spur usually white, gibbous, 2–3 mm;
style head beardless; cleistogamous flowers on ascending to erect peduncles.
ovoid to ellipsoid, 5–7 mm, glabrous.
ellipsoid, 6–10 mm, glabrous.
beige to bronze, 1.5–2 mm.
beige, mottled to bronze, or dark brown, 1.5–2 mm.
= 20.
= 54.
Viola labradorica
Viola villosa
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.)
Much of the foliage of Viola villosa remains green throughout the winter (V. B. Baird 1942).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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