Viola nephrophylla
Viola blanda
kidney-leaf violet, Leconte violet, northern bog violet, violette néphrophylle
sweet white violet, violette agréable
basal, 4–7, ascending to erect;
stipules lanceolate, margins entire or fimbriate, apex acute;
petiole 2–25 cm, usually glabrous;
blade usually grayish green or purplish green abaxially, unlobed, ovate, reniform, or broadly reniform to orbiculate, 1–7 × 1–7 cm, somewhat fleshy, base broadly cordate or reniform to ± truncate, margins crenate to serrate, ciliate or eciliate, apex acute to obtuse or rounded, surfaces usually glabrous, rarely sparsely pubescent.
basal, 2–9, prostrate to ascending;
stipules linear-lanceolate, margins entire, apex acute;
petiole 2–11 cm, usually sparsely pubescent;
blade unlobed, reniform to ovate, 2–4 × 2–4 cm, base cordate, lobes often overlapping, margins serrate, ciliate or eciliate, apex rounded or acute to acuminate, surfaces sometimes glabrous, usually sparsely pubescent adaxially.
3–25 cm, usually glabrous.
3–11 cm, glabrous or pubescent.
sepals ovate, margins usually eciliate, auricles 1–2 mm;
petals deep bluish violet on both surfaces, lower 3 white basally and darker violet-veined, lateral 2 bearded, upper 2 sometimes sparsely bearded, lowest densely bearded or beardless, 10–28 mm, spur same color as petals, gibbous, 2–3 mm;
style head beardless; cleistogamous flowers on erect to ascending peduncles.
sepals lanceolate to ovate, margins mostly eciliate, auricles 1–2 mm;
petals white on both surfaces, lower 3 purple-veined, lateral 2 usually beardless, lowest 8–10 mm, spur white, gibbous, 1–2 mm;
style head beardless; cleistogamous flowers axillary.
ovoid, 5–10 mm, glabrous.
ovoid to ellipsoid, 4–6 mm, glabrous.
beige to brown or dark brown, 1.5–2.5 mm.
beige to bronze, 1.5–2 mm.
= 54.
= 44, 48.
Viola nephrophylla
Viola blanda
Viola nephrophylla has the widest distribution in North America of any of the acaulescent blue violets.
There is some question whether the species we now know as Viola nephrophylla fits with the protologue and type specimen(s). McKinney examined the type designated by Greene; it appears that what most botanists have called V. nephrophylla may be an undescribed taxon. N. L. Gil-Ad (1997) believed Greene’s type contained plants that were genetically impure based on seed coat micromorphology and suggested the specimens might be a mixture of both orthospecies and introgressants.
Viola mccabeiana was described by M. S. Baker in 1940 from collections made in British Columbia. Later, Baker (1949b) discussed the reasons why the name V. mccabeiana needed to be abandoned. C. L. Hitchcock et al. (1955–1969, vol. 3) treated V. mccabeiana as synonymous with V. nephrophylla var. cognata. While Viola mccabeiana is recognized in Canada (L. Brouillet et al., http://data.canadensys.net/vascan/), we believe it is best included within V. nephrophylla.
Viola nephrophylla reportedly hybridizes with V. cucullata (= V. ×insessa House), V. sororia var. sororia (= V. ×napae House), and V. affinis (= V. ×subaffinis House).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Viola blanda occurs in small colonies; individual plants are interconnected by stolons.
Whether to recognize Viola incognita at any taxonomic level is currently unresolved. It is said to have pubescent
leaf blades, greenish peduncles, nontwisted lateral petals, and a preference for moister habitats. Most of these characters fall within the range of variation observed in V. blanda.
N. H. Russell (1965) noted that Viola incognita is principally found in glaciated areas whereas V. blanda is found in nonglaciated areas. Á. Löve and D. Löve (1982b) and J. M. Canne (1987) reported a chromosome count of 2n = 44; J. Clausen (1929) and A. Gershoy (1934) reported 2n = 48. V. B. Baird (1942) reported that V. blanda (and V. incognita) have fragrant flowers.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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