The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

Alaska violet, Aleutian violet, Langsdorff's violet, violette de Langsdorff

Cascades early blue violet, common periwinkle, early blue violet, hook-spur violet, hookedspur violet, large periwinkle, sand violet, western dog violet, wild dog violet

Habit Plants perennial, caulescent, not stoloniferous, 2–30 cm. Plants perennial, caulescent, not stoloniferous, 1.8–30(–35) cm.
Stems

1–3, ascending to erect, usually glabrous, from shallow, fleshy rhizome.

1–5, erect, ascending, or decumbent, sometimes later reclining to nearly prostrate, glabrous or puberulent, on caudex from subligneous rhizome.

Leaves

basal and cauline;

basal: 2–3;

stipules broadly ovate to deltate or long-lanceolate, margins often glandular (glands sessile or stalked), apex acute;

petiole 0.8–21 cm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent;

blade ovate to reniform, 0.9–5.8 × 1–6 cm, base cordate to ± truncate, margins crenate to crenate-serrulate, usually eciliate, apex rounded or acute to usually obtuse, surfaces glabrous or sparsely pubescent on adaxial veins, seldom on abaxial veins;

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

petiole 2.2–12.1 cm;

blade 1.9–4.2 × 1.8–5.9 cm.

basal and cauline;

basal: 1–4;

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

petiole 0.5–13.5 cm, glabrous or puberulent;

blade usually ovate or ovate-deltate to ovate-orbiculate, sometimes ± reniform or oblong, 0.5–6.9 × 0.4–5 cm, base cordate, subcordate, truncate, or attenuate, usually decurrent on petiole, margins crenate to crenulate or entire, ciliate or eciliate, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces glabrous or sparsely to densely puberulent;

cauline similar to basal except: stipule margins lacerate to laciniate;

petiole 0.5–6.5 cm;

blade 0.6–5.5 × 0.4–4.7 cm.

Peduncles

2.2–20.7 cm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent.

1.7–13.8 cm, glabrous or puberulent.

Flowers

sepals lanceolate to ovate, margins eciliate, auricles 0.5–1.5 mm;

petals light to deep violet on both surfaces, lower 3 white basally and light to deep violet-veined, lateral 2 bearded, lowest 12–24 mm, spur white to violet, gibbous to elongated, 2–5 mm, usually less than 1/2 lowest petal, tip straight;

style head usually beardless, sometimes bearded; cleistogamous flowers axillary.

sepals lanceolate, margins ciliate or eciliate, auricles not enlarged in fruit, 0.5–2 mm;

petals light- to deep- to lavender-violet on both surfaces, rarely white, lower 3 usually white basally, dark violet-veined, lateral 2 (and sometimes upper 2) bearded, lowest 7–17(–23) mm, spur purple to violet or white, elongated, 5–7 mm, tip straight or pointed, curved up or lateral;

style head sparsely to densely bearded, sometimes beardless; cleistogamous flowers axillary.

Capsules

ovoid to oblong, 7.5–13 mm, glabrous.

short-ovoid, 6–11 mm, glabrous.

Seeds

dark olive to ± black, 2.5–2.8 mm.

dark brown to olive-black, 1.5–2 mm.

2n

= 12.

Viola langsdorffii

Viola adunca

Phenology Flowering Apr–Aug.
Habitat Swamps, bogs, fens, wet meadows, stream banks, rocky slopes, usually near coast
Elevation 0–1500 m (0–4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; OR; WA; BC; YT; Asia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; AZ; CA; CO; IA; ID; MA; ME; MI; MN; MT; ND; NE; NH; NM; NV; NY; OR; SD; UT; VT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NS; NT; NU; ON; QC; SK; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Viola simulata and V. superba are closely related to V. langsdorffii (L. Abrams and R. S. Ferris 1923–1960, vol. 3). They were treated by C. L. Hitchcock et al. (1955–1969, vol. 3) as synonymous with V. langsdorffii pending further study.

E. Brainerd (1921) stated that Viola langsdorffii presents an interesting transition between the caulescent and acaulescent violets. Plants of the species are reported from Winchester Grade in Idaho (Gail s.n., 1931, ID); verification is needed. Viola langsdorffii is reported to have fleshy rhizomes. Plants in Del Norte County, California, have fleshy rhizomes near the soil surface, but these are connected to deeper, subligneous rhizomes.

The style in some populations of Viola langsdorffii is reported to be sometimes bearded (G. W. Douglas et al. 1998–2002, vol. 5; W. J. Cody 2000). Illustrations in V. B. Baird (1942; location of plant unknown) and M. S. Baker (1936; a plant from Alaska) show a beardless style; L. Abrams and R. S. Ferris (1923–1960, vol. 3) and C. L. Hitchcock et al. (1955–1969, vol. 3) reported that the style head was beardless. Styles are beardless in plants occurring in Del Norte County, California.

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

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Viola adunca is polymorphic with over 50 named taxa. G. D. McPherson and J. G. Packer (1974) reported that diploid, triploid, and tetraploid races of V. adunca occur in Canada and northwestern United States. They found that diploid and tetraploid chromosome races can be distinguished morphologically based on style beards and on the size of guard cells and pollen grains and recommended taxonomic recognition of both races. In diploid races, the style projections are more or less cylindrical and about one-sixth the width of the style; in tetraploid races they are short-conical or globular, and about one-tenth or less than the width of the style beard.

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

Key
1. Plants (4–)4.5–30(–35) cm; basal blades 1.3–6.9 × 1.2–5 cm; peduncles 3–13.8 cm; 0–3600 m; widespread in North America.
var. adunca
1. Plants 1.8–4.5(–6.5) cm; basal blades 0.5–1.7 × 0.4–1.4 cm; peduncles 1.7–5 cm; 2500–3800 m; restricted to Rocky Mountains (Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, British Columbia).
var. bellidifolia
Source FNA vol. 6, p. 136. FNA vol. 6, p. 119.
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. howellii, V. japonica, V. labradorica, V. lanceolata, 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. 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
V. adunca var. adunca, V. adunca var. bellidifolia
Synonyms V. simulata, V. superba Lophion aduncum, V. canina var. adunca
Name authority Fischer ex Gingins: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 1: 296. (1824) Smith: in A. Rees, Cycl. 37: Viola no. 63
Web links