Viola rotundifolia
Viola orbiculata
early yellow or roundleaf yellow violet, round-leaf violet, roundleaf yellow violet, violette à feuilles rondes
darkwoods violet, evergreen yellow violet, round-leaf or round-leaf wood or western round-leaf or evergreen violet, round-leaf violet, violette orbiculaire
1–5, prostrate or erect, leafy proximally and distally, usually glabrous, from current and/or previous year’s growth, on usually vertical, fleshy rhizome.
basal, 2–5, prostrate to ascending, often overlapping basally;
stipules linear-lanceolate, margins entire, apex acute;
petiole 2–8 cm, pubescent;
blade unlobed, orbiculate, reniform, or ovate, 2–12 × 1.5–9 cm, base cordate, margins crenate to serrate, sometimes glandular, ciliate or eciliate, apex rounded to acute, surfaces usually pubescent throughout or concentrated proximally on both surfaces.
basal and cauline;
basal: 3–11;
stipules deltate to lanceolate, margins entire, apex acute to acuminate;
petiole 2.1–10.5 cm, glabrous or pubescent;
blade usually orbiculate to broadly ovate, sometimes reniform, 1.4–5.3 × 1.4–5.3 cm, base cordate, margins crenate to serrulate-crenulate, eciliate or sparingly ciliate, apex usually obtuse, rarely acute, abaxial surface usually glabrous, adaxial surface sparsely pubescent;
cauline similar to basal except: stipules lanceolate to ovate, margins usually entire, ciliate;
petiole 0.7–1 cm, glabrous or pubescent;
blade 1.2–2 × 1.1–1.4 cm.
1.5–7 cm, usually pubescent.
2.7–5.6 cm, glabrous.
sepals lanceolate to ovate, margins ciliate or eciliate, auricles 0.5–1 mm;
petals deep lemon-yellow on both surfaces, lower 3 brownish purple-veined, lateral 2 bearded, lowest 8–11 mm, spur yellow, gibbous, 1–2 mm;
style head beardless; cleistogamous flowers on prostrate or partially subterranean rhizomes or on racemelike, nonrooting, and usually leafless branches growing from rhizome apex.
sepals narrow to broadly lanceolate, margins eciliate, auricles 0.5–1.5 mm;
upper 2 and lateral 2 petals deep lemon-yellow on both surfaces, lower 3 and sometimes upper 2 brownish purple-veined, lateral 2 usually bearded, lowest 8–17 mm, spur usually yellow, sometimes whitish, gibbous, 1.5–2.5 mm;
style head bearded; cleistogamous flowers axillary.
ellipsoid, 5–10 mm, glabrous.
ellipsoid, 6–8 mm, glabrous.
beige, 1–2 mm.
light to dark brown, sometimes mottled with white, 2–2.3 mm.
= 12.
= 24.
Viola rotundifolia
Viola orbiculata
N. H. Russell (1955b) stated that Viola rotundifolia is a primitive member of Viola and probably one of the ancestral species of stemmed yellow violets of North America. Russell (1965) stated that morphologically, V. rotundifolia is one of the most invariable violets and suggested that its nearest relative is V. orbiculata.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
During winter, the basal leaves of Viola orbiculata are appressed to the ground under the weight of snow. The leaves overwinter and are often partly or entirely green after the snow has melted. Mature plants possess 3–11 basal leaves, some derived from previous years and others from the current year’s growth. Occasional plants are found with short, thin stems rooted at the tip and producing a rosette of leaves and stems, showing the close relationship with V. sempervirens.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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