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long-spur violet, violette rostrée

Clausen's violet

Habit Plants perennial, caulescent, not stoloniferous, 5–20 cm. Plants perennial, acaulescent, not stoloniferous, 3–20 cm; rhizome short, slender, fleshy.
Stems

1–7, ascending to erect (often declining during anthesis), glabrous, on caudex from fleshy rhizome.

Leaves

basal and cauline;

basal: 1–5;

stipules lanceolate, margins laciniate, apex acute;

petiole 1–9.6 cm, glabrous;

blade sometimes purple-spotted abaxially and/or adaxially, reniform to ovate, 1–4.5 × 1–4 cm, base broadly cordate to cordate, margins crenate to serrate, mostly eciliate, apex obtuse to acute, surfaces usually pubescent, mostly adaxially toward base, sometimes glabrous;

cauline similar to basal except: petiole 0.4–4 cm;

distal cauline blades ovate to deltate, 1–4.5 × 1–4 cm, base cordate, apex acuminate to acute.

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.

Peduncles

5–9 cm, usually glabrous.

8–14 cm, glabrous.

Flowers

sepals lanceolate, margins eciliate, auricles 1–2 mm;

petals pale lavender-violet on both surfaces, all white basally, lower 3 purple-black-veined, all beardless, lowest 8–20 mm, spur white, purple, or lavender-tinged, elongated, 10–20 mm;

style head beardless; cleistogamous flowers axillary.

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.

Capsules

ellipsoid, 4–6 mm, glabrous.

oblong, 8–10 mm, glabrous.

Seeds

beige to bronze, 1.3–2 mm.

dark brown to black, 1.2–2 mm.

2n

= 20.

= 44.

Viola rostrata

Viola clauseniana

Phenology Flowering Apr–May. Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Rich, mesic to dry, well-drained woodlands, mountains Hanging gardens, seeps, springs, shady areas
Elevation 200–1800 m (700–5900 ft) 1600 m (5200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; CT; GA; IN; KY; MA; MD; MI; NC; NJ; NY; OH; PA; SC; TN; VA; VT; WI; WV; ON; QC; e Asia (Japan)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
UT
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Viola rostrata has the longest spur of any North American Viola species.

Viola rostrata reportedly hybridizes with V. labradorica (= V. ×malteana House) and V. striata (= V. ×brauniae Grover ex Cooperrider).

(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.)

Source FNA vol. 6, p. 154. FNA vol. 6, p. 128.
Parent taxa Violaceae > Viola Violaceae > Viola
Sibling taxa
V. adunca, V. affinis, V. arvensis, V. bakeri, V. beckwithii, V. bicolor, V. biflora, V. blanda, V. brittoniana, V. canadensis, V. canina, V. charlestonensis, V. clauseniana, V. cucullata, V. cuneata, V. douglasii, V. egglestonii, V. epipsila, V. flettii, V. frank-smithii, V. glabella, V. guadalupensis, V. hallii, V. hastata, V. hirsutula, V. howellii, V. japonica, V. labradorica, V. lanceolata, V. langsdorffii, V. lithion, V. lobata, V. macloskeyi, V. missouriensis, V. nephrophylla, V. novae-angliae, V. nuttallii, V. ocellata, V. odorata, V. orbiculata, V. palmata, V. palustris, V. pedata, V. pedatifida, V. pedunculata, V. pinetorum, V. praemorsa, V. primulifolia, V. prionantha, V. pubescens, V. purpurea, V. quercetorum, V. renifolia, V. riviniana, V. rotundifolia, V. sagittata, V. selkirkii, V. sempervirens, V. septemloba, V. sheltonii, V. sororia, V. striata, V. subsinuata, V. tomentosa, V. tricolor, V. trinervata, V. tripartita, V. umbraticola, V. utahensis, V. vallicola, V. villosa, V. walteri
V. adunca, V. affinis, V. arvensis, V. bakeri, V. beckwithii, V. bicolor, V. biflora, V. blanda, V. brittoniana, V. canadensis, V. canina, V. charlestonensis, V. cucullata, V. cuneata, V. douglasii, V. egglestonii, V. epipsila, V. flettii, V. frank-smithii, V. glabella, V. guadalupensis, V. hallii, V. hastata, V. hirsutula, V. howellii, V. japonica, V. labradorica, V. lanceolata, V. langsdorffii, V. lithion, V. lobata, V. macloskeyi, V. missouriensis, V. nephrophylla, V. novae-angliae, V. nuttallii, V. ocellata, V. odorata, V. orbiculata, V. palmata, V. palustris, V. pedata, V. pedatifida, V. pedunculata, V. pinetorum, V. praemorsa, V. primulifolia, V. prionantha, V. pubescens, V. purpurea, V. quercetorum, V. renifolia, V. riviniana, V. rostrata, V. rotundifolia, V. sagittata, V. selkirkii, V. sempervirens, V. septemloba, V. sheltonii, V. sororia, V. striata, V. subsinuata, V. tomentosa, V. tricolor, V. trinervata, V. tripartita, V. umbraticola, V. utahensis, V. vallicola, V. villosa, V. walteri
Synonyms Lophion rostratum
Name authority Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 174. (1813) M. S. Baker: Madroño 4: 194. (1938)
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