Viola renifolia
Viola odorata
kidney-leaf or kidney-shape or white violet, kidney-leaf violet, kidney-leaf white violet, northern white violet, violette réniforme, white violet
English violet, garden violet, sweet blue violet, sweet violet, violette odorante
basal, 1–5, prostrate to ascending;
stipules linear-lanceolate, margins entire to sparsely laciniate, apex acute;
petiole 3–10 cm, strigose, sericeous, or villous, occasionally glabrous;
blade unlobed, reniform or ovate to broadly ovate or orbiculate, 1.5–3.5 × 2–5 cm, base cordate to broadly cordate, margins serrate-crenate, ciliate or eciliate, apex acute, obtuse, or rounded, occasionally acuminate, surfaces usually sparsely to densely strigose, sericeous, or villous throughout or along veins, sometimes glabrous.
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.
3–8 cm, puberulent.
4–15 cm, puberulent.
sepals lanceolate to ovate, margins usually eciliate, auricles 1–2 mm;
petals white on both surfaces, lower 3 purple-veined, all beardless or lower 3 sparsely bearded, lowest 8–10 mm, spur white, gibbous, 2–3 mm;
style head beardless; cleistogamous flowers on prostrate to ascending peduncles.
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.
ovoid to ellipsoid, 5–8 mm, glabrous.
sometimes purple-flecked, ovoid, 5–8 mm, puberulent.
mottled beige to bronze, 1.5–2.2 mm.
brown, 3–4 mm.
= 24.
= 20.
Viola renifolia
Viola odorata
Nonflowering plants of Viola renifolia and V. epipsila appear similar. The abaxial leaf surfaces of V. renifolia usually have a few short, straight hairs on the main veins; leaves of V. epipsila are usually glabrous (C. Parker, pers. comm.). Viola renifolia can appear similar to V. macloskeyi. V. B. Baird (1942) wrote that V. renifolia sometimes produces ascending stems. H. A. Gleason and A. Cronquist (1991) noted that if stolons were present, they were short and racemelike with cleistogamous flowers. The ascending stems and stolons mentioned by these authors may or may not be different phases of the same structure.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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.)
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