Viola pedatifida |
Viola lithion |
|
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crow-foot violet, prairie or crowfoot or larkspur violet, prairie violet, violette pédatifide |
rock violet |
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Habit | Plants perennial, acaulescent, not stoloniferous, 5–30 cm; rhizome thick, fleshy. | Plants perennial, caulescent, not stoloniferous, 5–15 cm. |
Stems | 1–3, ascending to erect, glabrous, on caudex from fleshy rhizome. |
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Leaves | 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 and cauline; basal: 1–4; stipules unknown; petiole 1–10 cm, glabrous, sometimes finely puberulent; blade broadly ovate or deltate to broadly deltate, 1–2.5(–2.9) × 0.6–2.2(–2.6) cm, base usually cordate to truncate, rarely rounded, margins crenate-dentate, eciliate, apex acute, surfaces glabrous; cauline similar to basal except: stipules lanceolate, margins usually fimbriate-toothed, sometimes entire, apex attenuate or acute; petiole 1.1–3.7 cm, sometimes finely puberulent; blade ovate to deltate, 0.7–2.2 × 0.4–1.2 cm, base sometimes rounded on distal blades. |
Peduncles | 5–18 cm, glabrous or pubescent. |
3–6(–10) cm, glabrous. |
Flowers | 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, margins eciliate, auricles 0.5–1 mm; petals blue to pale violet on both surfaces with yellow area basally, lower 3 purple-veined, lowest with yellow area, lateral 2 bearded, lowest 5.5–11 mm, spur white to pale violet, gibbous, 0.5–1.3 mm; style head bearded; cleistogamous flowers unknown. |
Capsules | ellipsoid, 10–15 mm, glabrous. |
subglobose, ca. 5 mm, glabrous. |
Seeds | beige, mottled to bronze, 1.5–2.5 mm. |
dark brown, ca. 1.8 mm. |
2n | = 54. |
|
Viola pedatifida |
Viola lithion |
|
Phenology | Flowering Mar–Jun. | Flowering Jun–Aug. |
Habitat | Prairies, grasslands, disturbed ground, dry gravelly hills | Seasonally wet cracks and crevices, narrow ledges of rock outcrops, shaded northeast-facing avalanche chutes, cirque headwalls, subalpine conifer zone |
Elevation | 500–1000 m (1600–3300 ft) | 2300–3100 m (7500–10200 ft) |
Distribution |
AR; AZ; CO; IA; IL; IN; KS; MI; MN; MO; MT; ND; NE; NM; OH; OK; SD; VA; WI; WY; AB; MB; ON; SK
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NV; UT |
Discussion | 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 lithion is known only from the White Pine Range in Nevada and the Pilot Range straddling the Nevada-Utah border. It is related to V. canadensis and V. flettii. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 6, p. 144. | FNA vol. 6, p. 136. |
Parent taxa | Violaceae > Viola | Violaceae > Viola |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | V. delphiniifolia, V. palmata var. pedatifida | |
Name authority | G. Don: Gen. Hist. 1: 320. (1831) | N. H. Holmgren & P. K. Holmgren: Brittonia 44: 300, fig. 1A – D. (1992) |
Web links |