Viola sheltonii |
Viola affinis |
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cut-leaf violet, fan violet, Shelton's violet |
Le Conte's violet, sand violet, violette affine |
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Habit | Plants perennial, caulescent, not stoloniferous, 3–27 cm. | Plants perennial, acaulescent, not stoloniferous, 5–15 cm; rhizome slender, becoming thick and fleshy with age. |
Stems | 1–3, prostrate, decumbent, or erect, glabrous or sparsely puberulent, from short, often vertical, deep-seated or usually shallow, subligneous rhizome. |
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Leaves | basal and cauline; basal: 1–3, palmately compound, leaflets 3; stipules lanceolate-ovate, margins laciniate with gland-tipped projections, apex acute to acuminate; petiole 8.6–21 cm, glabrous or sparsely puberulent; blade reniform or ovate to ± orbiculate, 2–7 × 2–11 cm, coriaceous, base tapered, each leaflet cleft or dissected into 3 ± obovate lobes, each lobe further divided into 2–3 oblanceolate, pandurate, spatulate, oblong, lanceolate, or elliptic, lobes 2–10 mm wide, margins entire, ciliate or eciliate, apex acute to obtuse, mucronulate, surfaces glabrous or sparsely puberulent; cauline similar to basal except: stipules ovate to lanceolate, margin projections gland-tipped or eglandular, apex long-acuminate; petiole 5.5–12 cm; blade 1.2–6.3 × 1.2–10.5 cm. |
basal, 1–6, ascending to erect; stipules lanceolate, margins entire or fimbriate, apex acute; petiole 2–10 cm, glabrous; blade green abaxially, unlobed, narrowly to broadly ovate or narrowly deltate, 1.5–10 × 1.5–10 cm, not fleshy, base cordate to broadly cordate or almost truncate, margins crenate to serrate, ciliate or eciliate, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces sparsely pubescent adaxially, rarely glabrous. |
Peduncles | 5–19 cm, glabrous or sparsely puberulent. |
3–15 cm, glabrous or pubescent. |
Flowers | sepals lanceolate, margins ciliate or eciliate, auricles 0.5–1 mm; petals deep lemon-yellow adaxially, upper 2 dark brown to brownish purple abaxially, lower 3 and sometimes upper 2 brownish purple-veined, lateral 2 bearded or beardless, lowest 7–18 mm, spur yellowish with brownish purple specks, gibbous, 1–2 mm; style head bearded; cleistogamous flowers axillary. |
sepals lanceolate to ovate, margins ciliate or eciliate, auricles 1–2 mm; petals lavender-violet to dull reddish violet on both surfaces, lower 3 white basally and darker violet-veined, lateral 2 bearded, lowest 10–22 mm, usually obviously bearded, rarely beardless, spur white or same color as petals, gibbous, 2–3 mm; style head beardless; cleistogamous flowers from prostrate to ascending peduncles. |
Capsules | oblong to ovoid, 6–8 mm, glabrous or puberulent. |
often reddish or purplish-flecked or green, ellipsoid, 5–10 mm, glabrous or puberulent. |
Seeds | brownish, shiny, ca. 2.5 mm. |
beige, mottled to bronze, 1.5–2.5 mm. |
2n | = 12. |
= 54. |
Viola sheltonii |
Viola affinis |
|
Phenology | Flowering Mar–Jul. | Flowering Apr–Jun. |
Habitat | Red fir, yellow pine, mixed evergreen, chaparral, oak woodlands, rich or gravelly soil | Open or wooded wet areas, meadows, stream banks, thickets, shores of lakes, seasonally dry areas. |
Elevation | 800–2500 m (2600–8200 ft) | 100–2000 m (300–6600 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; CO; ID; OR; WA
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CT; DC; DE; IL; IN; MA; MD; MI; MN; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; VA; VT; WI; WV; ON; QC |
Discussion | The cleistogamous flowers of Viola sheltonii are borne on long, prostrate peduncles usually buried in duff around the plant. Mature cleistogamous capsules are usually hidden and the dehisced seeds remain close to the parent plant. Some populations of V. sheltonii produce only cleistogamous flowers (D. Klaber 1976). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
L. E. McKinney (1992) considered Viola affinis, and much of what botanists had called V. nephrophylla, to be essentially the same taxon. After studying additional specimens, reviewing literature (H. E. Ballard 1994; A. Haines 2001b), and discussions with others (J. Cayouette, H. E. Ballard, A. Haines, pers. comm.), he chose to maintain these as separate taxa. Reports of V. affinis in the Gulf coastal states based on specimens or photographs are usually attributable to V. missouriensis. Viola affinis reportedly hybridizes with V. hirsutula (= V. ×consobrina House), V. cucullata (= V. ×consocia House), V. brittoniana (= V. ×davisii House), V. sororia (= V. ×filicetorum Greene [as species]), V. sagittata var. sagittata (= V. ×hollickii House), and V. nephrophylla (= V. ×subaffinis House). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 6, p. 158. | FNA vol. 6, p. 120. |
Parent taxa | Violaceae > Viola | Violaceae > Viola |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | V. sheltonii var. biternata | V. affinis var. subarctica, V. crenulata, V. sororia subsp. affinis, V. sororia var. affinis, V. subviscosa, V. venustula |
Name authority | Torrey: in War Department [U.S.], Pacif. Railr. Rep. 4(5): 67, plate 2. (1857) | Leconte: Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 2: 138. (1826) |
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