Viola labradorica Schrank
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TAXONOMY
 
Family: Violaceae
Genus: Viola
 
Species Synonyms: Viola adunca var. minor (Hook.) Fern.
Common Names: alpine violet
northern blue violet
 
DISTRIBUTION
 
Canada: Northwest Territories – northern Manitoba – northern Ontario – northern Quebec – northern Labrador, Newfoundland
Saskatchewan: northeastern Saskatchewan
Ecoregion: Selwyn Lake Upland
 
HABITAT
 
Saskatchewan: dry to moist meadows, woods, and open ground
 
RARITY STATUS
 
Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):
Endangered
Nature Conservancy Status:
G5
Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:
None
COSEWIC Status:
None
 
Viola labradorica is endangered because it is extremely rare in Saskatchewan. No collections have been made of this species in the province. Possible threats have been identified.
 
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
 
Rhizomes: rhizomes slender, elongate
Stems: leafy, erect
Leaves: alternate, petiolate, cordate-ovate to reniform, base cordate to subcordate, glabrous, margin toothed; stipules narrow, bract-like, margin subentire
Inflorescence: flowers solitary, axillary
Flowers: perfect, zygomorphic; calyx 5-merous, eciliolate; corolla 5-merous, spur less than 1 cm long, lateral petals bearded, deep-violet or blue-violet; stamens 5; style recurved and somewhat pubescent
Fruits: capsule 3-valved; seeds numerous
 
VIOLA KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN
 
1 Plants acaulescent; leaves and peduncles arising from a caudex and/or plants with stolons
2
1 Plants caulescent; flowers axillary, stolons and caudex absent
11
 
2 Leaves deeply divided; plants of prairies and dry areas
V. pedatifida
2 Leaves toothed or lobed but not deeply divided or margin entire; plants of meadows to moist woods or boggy areas
3
 
3 Flowers white, may have purplish lines towards the base
4
3 Flowers blue to violet
7
 
4 Plants without stolons; leaves orbicular to reniform
V. renifolia
4 Plants stoloniferous; leaves ovate to reniform
5
 
5 Leaves pubescent, at least when young; petioles and peduncles reddish
V. blanda var. palustriformis
5 Leaves glabrous; petioles and peduncles greenish
6
 
6 Leaves 2 – 5 cm long, 2.5 – 3.5 cm wide
V. palustris var. brevipes
6 Leaves 1 – 2 cm long, 1 – 1.5 cm wide
V. macloskeyi ssp. pallens
 
7 Rhizomes thick and fleshy; stolons absent; caudex usually short and thick; lateral petals bearded or not; sepals ciliolate or eciliolate
8
7 Rhizome slender and cord-like; stolons present or absent; caudex present or absent; lateral petals always bearded (except V. selkirkii); sepals eciliolate
10
 
8 Spurred petal beardless
V. sororia
8 Spurred petal bearded
9
 
9 Sepals ciliolate
V. septentrionalis
9 Sepals eciliolate
V. nephrophylla
 
10 Stolons present; petal spur much shorter than the blade; lateral petals bearded; plants of moist meadows and streams
V. palustris var. palustris
10 Stolons present; petal spur to 2/3 as long as blade; lateral petals beardless; plants of woods and rocky slopes
V. selkirkii
 
11 Leaves lanceolate to narrowly ovate; flowers yellow, may have purple veins at the base
12
11 Leaves cordate-ovate to reniform; flowers yellow, white or blue
13
 
12 Leaves usually at least three times as long as wide, lanceolate to elliptic
V. nuttallii
12 Leaves less than three times as long as wide, narrowly ovate
V. vallicola var. vallicola
 
13 Flowers yellow, with purplish-brown veins; plants of rich deciduous woods
V. pubescens var. scabriuscula
13 Flowers white to lilac or blue; plants of woods or meadows
14
 
14 Flowers white inside, yellow at base and with purplish veins or purple tinge on outside; stipules entire
V. canadensis var. rugulosa
14 Flowers blue to lilac; stipules toothed
15
 
15 Leaves thin, glabrous; stipules ovate; flowers lilac
V. conspersa
15 Leaves thick, glabrous to densely pubescent; flowers deep blue
16
 
16 Leaves densely pubescent
V. adunca var. adunca
16 Leaves glabrous
V. labradorica