Viola orbiculata |
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darkwoods violet, evergreen yellow violet, round-leaf or round-leaf wood or western round-leaf or evergreen violet, round-leaf violet, violette orbiculaire |
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Habit | Plants perennial, caulescent, not stoloniferous, 5–9 cm. |
Stems | 1–5, prostrate or erect, leafy proximally and distally, usually glabrous, from current and/or previous year’s growth, on usually vertical, fleshy rhizome. |
Leaves | basal and cauline; basal: 3–11; stipules deltate to lanceolate, margins entire, apex acute to acuminate; petiole 2.1–10.5 cm, glabrous or pubescent; blade usually orbiculate to broadly ovate, sometimes reniform, 1.4–5.3 × 1.4–5.3 cm, base cordate, margins crenate to serrulate-crenulate, eciliate or sparingly ciliate, apex usually obtuse, rarely acute, abaxial surface usually glabrous, adaxial surface sparsely pubescent; cauline similar to basal except: stipules lanceolate to ovate, margins usually entire, ciliate; petiole 0.7–1 cm, glabrous or pubescent; blade 1.2–2 × 1.1–1.4 cm. |
Peduncles | 2.7–5.6 cm, glabrous. |
Flowers | sepals narrow to broadly lanceolate, margins eciliate, auricles 0.5–1.5 mm; upper 2 and lateral 2 petals deep lemon-yellow on both surfaces, lower 3 and sometimes upper 2 brownish purple-veined, lateral 2 usually bearded, lowest 8–17 mm, spur usually yellow, sometimes whitish, gibbous, 1.5–2.5 mm; style head bearded; cleistogamous flowers axillary. |
Capsules | ellipsoid, 6–8 mm, glabrous. |
Seeds | light to dark brown, sometimes mottled with white, 2–2.3 mm. |
2n | = 24. |
Viola orbiculata |
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Phenology | Flowering May–Aug. |
Habitat | Alpine and montane slopes, moist montane coniferous forests, canyons, meadows, lake margins |
Elevation | 700–1700 m (2300–5600 ft) |
Distribution |
ID; MT; OR; WA; WY; AB; BC
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Discussion | During winter, the basal leaves of Viola orbiculata are appressed to the ground under the weight of snow. The leaves overwinter and are often partly or entirely green after the snow has melted. Mature plants possess 3–11 basal leaves, some derived from previous years and others from the current year’s growth. Occasional plants are found with short, thin stems rooted at the tip and producing a rosette of leaves and stems, showing the close relationship with V. sempervirens. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 6, p. 141. |
Parent taxa | Violaceae > Viola |
Sibling taxa | |
Synonyms | V. sarmentosa var. orbiculata, V. sempervirens var. orbiculata |
Name authority | (A. Gary) Geyer ex B. D. Jackson: in B. D. Jackson et al., Index Kew. 2(4): 1208. (1895) |
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