Viola odorata |
Viola clauseniana |
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English violet, garden violet, sweet blue violet, sweet violet, violette odorante |
Clausen's violet |
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Habit | Plants perennial, acaulescent, stoloniferous, 4–12 cm; stolons green, often rooting at nodes and forming leafy rosettes; rooted rosettes often develop into erect, rhizomatous caudex from which new stolons are produced; rhizome thick, fleshy. | Plants perennial, acaulescent, not stoloniferous, 3–20 cm; rhizome short, slender, fleshy. |
Leaves | basal (and from stolons), 5–10, ascending to erect; stipules lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, margins fimbriate, projections gland-tipped, apex acute; petiole 2–17 cm, puberulent; blade unlobed, ovate to orbiculate, 1.5–7 × 1.5–5 cm, base cordate, margins crenate, ciliate, apex obtuse to rounded, surfaces puberulent. |
basal, 2–10, often prostrate, sometimes ascending; stipules narrowly lanceolate, margins faintly glandular-toothed, apex acute or obtuse; petiole 5–11 cm, glabrous; blade unlobed, ± deltate, 3–5 × 4–5 cm, base ± truncate, margins serrate, ciliate or eciliate, apex obtuse, surfaces usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely pubescent abaxially. |
Peduncles | 4–15 cm, puberulent. |
8–14 cm, glabrous. |
Flowers | sepals narrow to broadly lanceolate, margins ciliate, auricles 3–4 mm; petals deep to pale blue-violet, pale blue, or white on both surfaces, usually white basally, lateral 2 sparsely to densely bearded, lowest usually purple-veined, 12–22 mm, spur usually same color as petals, elongated, 5–7 mm; style head beardless; cleistogamous flowers on prostrate or ascending peduncles. |
sepals lanceolate to ovate, margins eciliate or ciliate around auricles, auricles 1–2 mm; petals light violet on both surfaces, lower 3 purple-veined, all beardless, lowest petal 8–20 mm, spur white, gibbous, 2–3 mm; style head beardless; cleistogamous flowers on prostrate to ascending peduncles. |
Capsules | sometimes purple-flecked, ovoid, 5–8 mm, puberulent. |
oblong, 8–10 mm, glabrous. |
Seeds | brown, 3–4 mm. |
dark brown to black, 1.2–2 mm. |
2n | = 20. |
= 44. |
Viola odorata |
Viola clauseniana |
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Phenology | Flowering Jan–May. | Flowering Apr–Jun. |
Habitat | Lawns, roadsides, clearings, riparian habitats, parks, urban areas | Hanging gardens, seeps, springs, shady areas |
Elevation | 0–1700 m (0–5600 ft) | 1600 m (5200 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; CT; ID; IL; MA; ME; MI; NC; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; UT; WA; WI; BC; NS; ON; QC; Eurasia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Australia]
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UT |
Discussion | Viola odorata occurs in small colonies; individual plants are interconnected by stolons. The flowers of Viola odorata are noted for their fragrance; some plants are more fragrant than others. It is native to Eurasia and assumed to be introduced in North America where it is usually found in areas associated with human habitation, including parks, lawns, and roadsides. A substantial industry revolved around the commercial production of violets in England, France, and the United States from prior to 1895 and into the 1900s (R. E. Coombs 2003). Viola odorata is sometimes found in remote locations not easily explained by anthropogenic influence, for example, Clearwater Mountains, Idaho. It is available through the nursery trade and is cultivated as a garden plant and occasionally reported as an escape. Viola odorata is grown in southern France for essential oils used in perfumes, flavorings, and toiletries, and also for the production of the sweet, violet-colored liqueur called parfait amour (V. H. Heywood 1978). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Of conservation concern. Viola clauseniana is endemic to Zion National Park, Washington County. M. S. Baker reported that its seeds were minutely roughed, a characteristic not recorded for other Viola species. Viola clauseniana was originally thought to be closely related to the acaulescent blue violets, most notably V. nephrophylla (S. L. Welsh et al. 1987; L. E. McKinney 1992). After contemplating the 2n = 44 chromosome count obtained by J. Clausen (1964), H. E. Ballard (pers. comm.) suggested that V. clauseniana might be more closely related with the stemless white violets (for example, V. blanda) than with V. nephrophylla. Viola clauseniana was considered a distinct species by N. H. Holmgren (2005d) and T. Marcussen and T. Karlsson (2010). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 6, p. 140. | FNA vol. 6, p. 128. |
Parent taxa | Violaceae > Viola | Violaceae > Viola |
Sibling taxa | ||
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 934. (1753) | M. S. Baker: Madroño 4: 194. (1938) |
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