Viola praemorsa
Viola walteri
Astoria violet, Canary violet, marsh violet, upland yellow violet, yellow montane violet
prostrate blue violet
1–3(–5), prostrate, decumbent, or erect, leafy proximally and distally, glabrous or puberulent, on caudex from usually vertical, subligneous rhizome.
1–5, prostrate, spreading, finely puberulent, from current and/or previous year’s growth, on usually vertical, fleshy rhizome, rooting and forming rosettes at or near tip; rooted rosettes often develop into an erect, fleshy caudex from which new stems are produced.
basal and cauline;
basal: 1–5;
stipules adnate to proximal 1/3 of petiole, forming 2 narrow, linear-lanceolate wings, margins entire, apex of each wing free, acute;
petiole 2.6–19.2 cm, glabrous or densely puberulent;
blade usually elliptic to ovate, sometimes oblong-lanceolate to ± orbiculate, 1.7–14(–17) × 0.8–5.3(–6.7) cm, base attenuate to ± truncate or subcordate, often oblique, margins usually crenate, serrulate, or serrate, sometimes entire, ciliate or eciliate, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces glabrous or densely puberulent;
cauline similar to basal except: stipules lanceolate to ovate, margins entire or toothed, with or without gland-tipped projections, apex acute to acuminate;
petiole 1.3–16.2 cm, glabrous or puberulent;
blade 2.3–11(–14.8) × 1.1–3.6(–5.5) cm, length 1.1–6.5 times width.
basal and cauline;
basal: 3–6;
stipules lanceolate, margins laciniate, projections often long-filamentous, apex long-acuminate;
petiole 2.3–7.3 cm, glabrous or pubescent;
blade often purple-spotted abaxially and/or adaxially, ovate to reniform, 1.2–5 × 1.6–3.6 cm, base deeply to broadly cordate, margins crenulate to serrate, ciliate or eciliate, apex rounded to obtuse, surfaces glabrous or pubescent;
cauline similar to basal except: stipules ovate to lanceolate, margins laciniate;
petiole 1–3.5 cm;
blade 1.3–2.9 × 1.4–3.2 cm.
4.4–27 cm, glabrous or puberulent.
5–9.6 cm, glabrous or pubescent.
sepals lanceolate, margins eciliate, auricles 1–2 mm;
petals deep lemon-yellow adaxially, upper 2, and sometimes lateral 2, brownish purple abaxially, lower 3 brownish purple-veined, lateral 2 sparsely bearded, lowest 11–19 mm, spur yellow or pale green, gibbous, 0.5–3 mm;
style head bearded; cleistogamous flowers axillary.
sepals lanceolate to ovate, margins mostly eciliate, auricles 0.5–1 mm;
petals pale to bluish violet on both surfaces, lower 3 white basally and darker violet-veined, lateral 2 and often upper 2 and lowest bearded, lowest 15–18 mm, spur white, gibbous to usually elongated, 3–5 mm;
style head bearded; cleistogamous flowers axillary.
ellipsoid to oblong, 6–14 mm, glabrous or finely puberulent.
ovoid to ellipsoid, 5–7 mm, glabrous.
medium to dark brown or red-brown, 2–3 mm, elaiosome completely covering funiculus.
brown, 1–1.5 mm.
= 36, 48.
= 20.
Viola praemorsa
Viola walteri
Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).
Viola praemorsa is a complex group that appears to be evolving. Sympatric populations and the similarity of their flowers provide opportunities for hybridization and introgression (D. M. Fabijan et al. 1987). Some botanists have suggested that all taxa in the V. nuttallii complex, which includes V. bakeri, V. nuttallii, V. praemorsa, V. tomentosa, and V. vallicola, should be treated as varieties of V. nuttallii, as C. L. Hitchcock et al. (1955–1969, vol. 3) did, on the basis that these taxa are more or less sympatric in range, intergrade with one another, and possess no distinctive gross morphological features by which they can be consistently recognized. S. L. Welsh et al. (1987) treated V. praemorsa and V. linguaefolia Nuttall as synonymous with V. nuttallii, stating that V. nuttallii (and related taxa) are acaulescent to short-caulescent. Although some plants have short internodes, all plants in the V. nuttallii complex are caulescent. We acknowledge the complexity and taxonomic difficulties inherent in the V. nuttallii complex; patterns of morphology, cytology, and leaf flavonoid chemistry provide a basis for recognizing infrataxa. Fabijan et al. conducted the most extensive study of the complex to date; their treatment of V. praemorsa is followed here.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Basal and cauline leaf blade bases ± truncate to subcordate; basal leaf blades 1.7–5.9(–7.3) cm, length 1.1–3 times width; plants 5.5–21.5 cm. | var. praemorsa |
1. Basal and cauline leaf blade bases attenuate; basal leaf blades 2.7–17 cm, length 1.7–6.5 times width; plants 10.5–36.5 cm | → 2 |
2. Basal leaf blades (3.4–)5.3–17 cm, usually ovate to elliptic, sometimes oblong-lanceolate, length 1.8–6.5 times width; peduncles 5.9–27 cm. | var. flavovirens |
2. Basal leaf blades 2.7–8.5 cm, usually ovate to elliptic, sometimes oblong-lanceolate, length 1.7–3.4 times width; peduncles 5–15 cm. | var. linguifolia |
1. Leaf blades pubescent, hairs scattered throughout or concentrated along veins, adaxial surfaces, or toward margins; stipule margin processes 1/2+ stipule length. | var. walteri |
1. Leaf blades glabrous or pubescent, hairs usually confined to adaxial surfaces; stipule margin processes to 1/2 stipule length. | var. appalachiensis |
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