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Nuttall's or Nuttall's yellow or yellow prairie violet, Nuttall's violet, violette de Nuttall, yellow prairie violet

three-part or Piedmont or threepart violet, threepart violet

Habit Plants perennial, caulescent, not stoloniferous, 2–27 cm. Plants perennial, caulescent, not stoloniferous, 10–40 cm.
Stems

1–6, ascending to erect, leafy proximally and distally, ca. 1/2 subterranean, puberulent, on caudex from usually vertical, subligneous rhizome.

1(2), erect, leafless proximally, leafy distally, glabrous or puberulent, from subligneous rhizome.

Leaves

basal and cauline;

basal: 1–6;

stipules adnate to petiole, forming 2 linear-lanceolate wings, margins entire, apex of each wing free, acute, few-toothed or lobed;

petiole 2–17 cm, glabrous or minutely puberulent;

blade lanceolate, ovate, or elliptic, 1–9 × 0.6–2.5 cm, base attenuate, margins entire or serrulate, sometimes sinuate, ciliate, apex acute to obtuse, mucronulate, surfaces glabrous or puberulent;

cauline similar to basal except: stipules adnate to or free from petiole, linear to linear-lanceolate or linear-oblong, sometimes leaflike, margins usually entire, rarely laciniate or glandular, apex acute to acuminate;

petiole 2–7 cm;

blade 1.4–7.2(–10) × 1.1–2.3 cm, length 1.3–4.4 times width, apex acute.

basal and cauline;

basal: 0(–2);

stipules ovate, not leaflike, margins entire, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces glabrous or puberulent;

petiole 9–11.5 cm, glabrous or puberulent;

blade unlobed, ovate, or 3–5-lobed, 4–5 × 1–5 cm, base cordate, margins entire or crenate-serrate, ciliate or eciliate, apex acute, surfaces glabrous or ± puberulent;

cauline similar to basal except: restricted to distal ends of stems;

stipules ovate to oblong;

petiole 0.7–7.2 cm, glabrous or puberulent;

blade unlobed, ovate or deltate, or 3-lobed (if 3-lobed, lateral lobes falcate, middle rhombic, longer than others, lobes may appear petiolate; unlobed and 3-lobed leaves can occur on same plant), 1–6 × 0.5–5.5 cm, base truncate to cuneate, margins serrate, ciliate or eciliate, surfaces glabrous or pubescent.

Peduncles

3–13 cm, glabrous or puberulent.

1.5–4 cm, glabrous or pubescent.

Flowers

sepals linear-lanceolate, margins eciliate, auricles 0.5–1 mm;

petals deep lemon-yellow adaxially or on both surfaces, upper 2 often brownish purple abaxially, lower 3 dark brown- to brownish purple-veined, lateral 2 sparsely bearded, lowest 6–13 mm, spur yellow, gibbous, 0.5–1.5 mm;

style head bearded; cleistogamous flowers axillary.

sepals lanceolate to ovate, margins ciliate or eciliate, auricles 0.1–0.5 mm;

petals lemon-yellow adaxially, upper 2, rarely others, brownish purple abaxially, lowest and usually lateral 2 brownish purple-veined, lateral 2 and sometimes lowest bearded, lowest 10–18 mm, spur yellow, gibbous, 0.5–2 mm;

style head bearded; cleistogamous flowers axillary.

Capsules

subglobose to ovoid, 4–10 mm, usually glabrous, rarely finely puberulent.

ovoid to ellipsoid, 9–12 mm, glabrous.

Seeds

medium brown, 2–3.2 mm, elaiosome extending over 1/3 length of seed and completely covering funiculus.

beige, bronze, or brown, 2.4–3 mm.

2n

= 24.

= 12.

Viola nuttallii

Viola tripartita

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun. Flowering Mar–May.
Habitat Sagebrush flats, prairie grasslands, dry stream banks, juniper woodlands, scree slopes Rich woods
Elevation 400–2600 m (1300–8500 ft) 50–1600 m (200–5200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; ID; KS; MN; MT; ND; NE; NM; SD; UT; WY; AB; MB; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; KY; MS; NC; OH; PA; SC; TN; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

D. M. Fabijan et al. (1987) stated that Viola nuttallii showed no evidence of hybridization even when growing with V. vallicola east of the Rocky Mountains.

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

Some authors recognize two varieties of Viola tripartita based on lobed versus unlobed leaves. F. L. Lévesque and P. M. Dansereau (1966) suggested that leaf variation is the only character difference between vars. tripartita and glaberrima. N. H. Russell (1965) stated that V. tripartita plants with lobed and unlobed leaves are sympatric and frequently intergrade and did not recognize them as distinct. The situation with two leaf forms in V. tripartita is similar to V. lobata, which also has two leaf forms.

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

Source FNA vol. 6, p. 140. FNA vol. 6, p. 161.
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. langsdorffii, V. lithion, V. lobata, V. macloskeyi, V. missouriensis, V. nephrophylla, V. novae-angliae, 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. sagittata, V. selkirkii, V. sempervirens, V. septemloba, V. sheltonii, V. sororia, V. striata, V. subsinuata, V. tomentosa, V. tricolor, V. trinervata, V. umbraticola, V. utahensis, V. vallicola, V. villosa, V. walteri
Synonyms Crocion nuttallii V. hastata var. glaberrima, V. hastata var. tripartita, V. tripartita var. glaberrima
Name authority Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 174. (1813) Elliott: Sketch Bot. S. Carolina 1: 302. (1817)
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