Viola walteri
Viola prionantha
prostrate blue violet
Japanese violet
1–5, prostrate, spreading, finely puberulent, from current and/or previous year’s growth, on usually vertical, fleshy rhizome, rooting and forming rosettes at or near tip; rooted rosettes often develop into an erect, fleshy caudex from which new stems are produced.
basal and cauline;
basal: 3–6;
stipules lanceolate, margins laciniate, projections often long-filamentous, apex long-acuminate;
petiole 2.3–7.3 cm, glabrous or pubescent;
blade often purple-spotted abaxially and/or adaxially, ovate to reniform, 1.2–5 × 1.6–3.6 cm, base deeply to broadly cordate, margins crenulate to serrate, ciliate or eciliate, apex rounded to obtuse, surfaces glabrous or pubescent;
cauline similar to basal except: stipules ovate to lanceolate, margins laciniate;
petiole 1–3.5 cm;
blade 1.3–2.9 × 1.4–3.2 cm.
basal, 6–22, ascending to erect;
stipules linear-lanceolate, margins remotely denticulate, apex acuminate;
petiole 1–13 cm, narrowly winged distally, glabrous or puberulent;
blade unlobed, oblong-ovate, ovate-lanceolate, or narrowly ovate, 1–4.5(–10) × 0.6–2(–4) cm, base usually truncate, sometimes ± cordate or broadly cuneate, margins crenulate, ciliate or eciliate, apex obtuse or ± acute, surfaces glabrous or puberulent.
5–9.6 cm, glabrous or pubescent.
2.5–6 cm, glabrous, bracteoles near middle.
sepals lanceolate to ovate, margins mostly eciliate, auricles 0.5–1 mm;
petals pale to bluish violet on both surfaces, lower 3 white basally and darker violet-veined, lateral 2 and often upper 2 and lowest bearded, lowest 15–18 mm, spur white, gibbous to usually elongated, 3–5 mm;
style head bearded; cleistogamous flowers axillary.
sepals lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, margins ciliate or eciliate, auricles 1–2 mm;
petals light violet or purple on both surfaces, rarely all white, lower 3 dark violet-veined, lateral 2 beardless or sparsely bearded, lowest 14–25 mm, spur pale to dark violet, elongated, 6–9 mm, tip hooked up;
style head beardless; cleistogamous flowers present.
ovoid to ellipsoid, 5–7 mm, glabrous.
narrowly ellipsoid, 5–12 mm, glabrous.
brown, 1–1.5 mm.
dark brown, ca. 2 mm.
= 20.
= 48.
Viola walteri
Viola prionantha
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
In 1952, plants of Viola initially identified as V. patrinii were collected and reported by C. T. Rogerson to be established in lawns on the campus of Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, where they are still found. S. B. Rolfsmeier recently determined that these plants are V. prionantha. R. B. Kaul reported that V. prionantha occurs along roadsides in Kansas and is also established in the floodplain of the North Platte River in Nebraska, where it was first collected by him in 1992.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Leaf blades pubescent, hairs scattered throughout or concentrated along veins, adaxial surfaces, or toward margins; stipule margin processes 1/2+ stipule length. | var. walteri |
1. Leaf blades glabrous or pubescent, hairs usually confined to adaxial surfaces; stipule margin processes to 1/2 stipule length. | var. appalachiensis |
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