Species: Viola selkirkii Pursh ex Goldie

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Viola selkirkii Pursh ex Goldie

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Violaceae

Genus:

Viola

Species Synonyms:

none

Common Names:

Selkirk’s violet
great-spurred violet
long-spurred violet

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

central Yukon – eastern British Columbia – central Alberta, east-central Saskatchewan – Ontario – Quebec – Labrador – Nova Scotia

Saskatchewan:

east-central Saskatchewan; Greenwater Lake – Porcupine Hills – Pasquia Hills

Ecoregion:

Boreal Transition, Mid-Boreal Upland, Mid-Boreal Lowland, Churchill River Upland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

moist deciduous, mixed, or white spruce woods

Associated species:

Acer negundo, Cystopteris montana, Gallium triflorum, Gymnocarpium dryopteris, Mitella nuda, Picea glauca, Populus balsamifera, Viola renifolia

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Vulnerable

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5 S2S3

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Viola selkirkii is vulnerable because it is rare or uncommon in Saskatchewan. This species is usually locally numerous within limited areas. No immediate threats are known but may occur in the future.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

6 – 15 cm

Rhizomes:

rhizomes long, slender

Stems:

perennial, acaulescent; stolons absent

Leaves:

basal, petiolate, ovate, base cordate with a narrow sinus, apex acute to obtuse, 1.5 – 3.5 cm wide, elongating after flowering, puberulent above, glabrous below, margin crenate; stipules lanceolate, apex attenuate, scarious, margin entire or few-toothed

Inflorescence:

flowers solitary, from basal peduncles; peduncles equalling or longer than leaves; cleistogamous flowers on erect peduncles

Flowers:

perfect, zygomorphic; calyx 5-merous, 6 – 7 mm long, lanceolate, glabrous; corolla 5-merous, 7 – 10 mm long, lateral petals beardless, pale violet, the lower 3 with dark violet veins, spur 5 – 7 mm long; stamens 5; style truncate

Fruits:

capsule 3-valved, 4 – 6 mm long, subglobose, yellowish-green, glabrous

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