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3-nerve violet, desert pansy, Rainier or sagebrush or three-nerve violet, Rainier violet, sagebrush violet, three-nerve violet

cut-leaf violet, fan violet, Shelton's violet

Habit Plants perennial, caulescent, not stoloniferous, 5–15 cm. Plants perennial, caulescent, not stoloniferous, 3–27 cm.
Stems

1–4, decumbent, ascending, or erect, ca. 1/2 subterranean, glabrous, from single, vertical, deep-seated caudex.

1–3, prostrate, decumbent, or erect, glabrous or sparsely puberulent, from short, often vertical, deep-seated or usually shallow, subligneous rhizome.

Leaves

basal and cauline;

basal: 1–7, palmately compound, leaflets 3–5;

stipules adnate to petiole, forming 2 linear-lanceolate wings, unlobed, margins entire, apex of each wing free, acute;

petiole 4.5–15 cm, glabrous;

blade reniform or ovate to ± orbiculate, 2–5 × 2.5–5 cm, coriaceous, base tapered, leaflets cleft or dissected into 2–3 elliptic, lanceolate, or oblanceolate lobes 2–7 mm wide, margins usually entire, eciliate, apex acute, mucronulate, surfaces glabrous (± glaucous), abaxial surface usually with prominent vein parallel to each margin;

cauline similar to basal except: stipules lanceolate;

petiole 1–5.5 cm;

blade 1–3 × 2–4.5 cm.

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.

Peduncles

1.1–7 cm, glabrous.

5–19 cm, glabrous or sparsely puberulent.

Flowers

sepals lanceolate, margins eciliate, auricles 0–1 mm;

petals: upper 2 often overlapping, dark reddish violet on both surfaces, lower 3 lilac, rarely white, lateral 2 bearded, with yellow patch basally and reddish violet patch distal to yellow patch, lowest 9–15 mm with yellow patch, dark reddish violet-veined, spur yellow, gibbous, 0.6–1.5 mm;

style head bearded; cleistogamous flowers absent.

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.

Capsules

ovoid, 7–12 mm, glabrous.

oblong to ovoid, 6–8 mm, glabrous or puberulent.

Seeds

tan, 3.2–4.5 mm.

brownish, shiny, ca. 2.5 mm.

2n

= 12.

Viola trinervata

Viola sheltonii

Phenology Flowering Mar–May. Flowering Mar–Jul.
Habitat Sagebrush flats, dry, rocky hillsides, usually in gravelly soil Red fir, yellow pine, mixed evergreen, chaparral, oak woodlands, rich or gravelly soil
Elevation 400–1200 m (1300–3900 ft) 800–2500 m (2600–8200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; CO; ID; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

In some populations of Viola trinervata the lower three petals are white with a yellow area proximally (V. B. Baird 1942).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

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.)

Source FNA vol. 6, p. 161. FNA vol. 6, p. 158.
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. rostrata, V. rotundifolia, V. sagittata, V. selkirkii, V. sempervirens, V. septemloba, V. sheltonii, V. sororia, V. striata, V. subsinuata, V. tomentosa, V. tricolor, 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. 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. rostrata, V. rotundifolia, V. sagittata, V. selkirkii, V. sempervirens, V. septemloba, 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 V. beckwithii var. trinervata V. sheltonii var. biternata
Name authority (Howell) Howell ex A. Gray: Bot. Gaz. 11: 290. (1886) Torrey: in War Department [U.S.], Pacif. Railr. Rep. 4(5): 67, plate 2. (1857)
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