Viola pedatifida
Viola clauseniana
crow-foot violet, prairie or crowfoot or larkspur violet, prairie violet, violette pédatifide
Clausen's violet
basal, 2–11, ascending to erect, 5–9-lobed;
stipules linear-lanceolate, margins entire, apex acute;
petiole 3–16 cm, pubescent;
blade similar in width and shape, lobes lanceolate, spatulate, falcate, or linear, 1–7 × 2–8 cm, base truncate to reniform, margins entire, ciliate, apex acute to obtuse, mucronulate, surfaces pubescent, hairs sometimes concentrated on veins.
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.
5–18 cm, glabrous or pubescent.
8–14 cm, glabrous.
sepals lanceolate to ovate, margins ciliate or eciliate, auricles 1–2 mm;
petals light to soft reddish violet on both surfaces, lower 3 white basally, dark violet-veined, lateral 2 and lowest usually bearded, lowest 10–25 mm, spur same color as petals, gibbous, 2–3 mm;
style head beardless; cleistogamous flowers on ascending to erect 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.
ellipsoid, 10–15 mm, glabrous.
oblong, 8–10 mm, glabrous.
beige, mottled to bronze, 1.5–2.5 mm.
dark brown to black, 1.2–2 mm.
= 54.
= 44.
Viola pedatifida
Viola clauseniana
Viola pedatifida was reported historically from, and recently rediscovered in, the Appalachian shale barrens of Virginia (T. Wieboldt, pers. comm.).
Viola pedatifida reportedly hybridizes with V. sororia (= V. ×bernardii Greene).
(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.)
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