Species: Viola sororia Willd.

comments | credits | copyright

Back to: Plants at Risk in Saskatchewan

Viola sororia Willd.

Species Image Gallery
(opens in a new window)

* Viola septentrionalis and Viola sororia are now considered by several authorities to be the same species.

TAXONOMY

Family:

Violaceae

Genus:

Viola

Species Synonyms:

Viola x champlainensis House
Viola floridana Brainerd
Viola x insessa House
Viola latiuscula Greene
Viola x melissifolia Greene
Viola x montivaga House
Viola x napae House
Viola palmata var. sororia (Willd.) Pollard
Viola papilionacea Pursh p.p.
Viola papilionacea var. priceana (Pollard) Alexander
Viola priceana Pollard
Viola septentrionalis Greene
Viola x subaffinis House

Common Names:

hooded blue violet
downy blue violet
woolly blue violet

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

east-central Saskatchewan – Manitoba – Ontario – southwestern Quebec

Saskatchewan:

east-central Saskatchewan; Pasquia Hills – Carragana – Arran

Ecoregion:

Aspen Parkland, Boreal Transition, Mid-Boreal Upland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

moist deciduous or mixed woods

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Threatened

Nature Conservancy Status:

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Hooded blue violet is threatened because of extreme rarity in Saskatchewan. This species has only been located in one small region of the province and is usually locally sparse.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Rhizomes:

thick, fleshy

Stems:

leafy stem absent; woody base frequently branching; runners absent

Leaves:

basal, stalks long-hairy, blades 2 – 3 cm wide, oval to kidney-shaped, base distinctly heart-shaped, tip obtuse to acute, young leaves densely long-hairy, dark green, margin uniformly toothed

Inflorescence:

flowers solitary; stalks usually shorter than to equal to leaves; self-fertilizing flowers on creeping stalks

Flowers:

perfect, irregular; sepals 5, lance-shaped to oval, margin short-hairy at base, ear-like lobes appressed; petals 5, spurred petal beardless or sparingly hairy, lateral petals bearded, spur blunt, deep violet to purple; stamens 5; ovary superior

Fruits:

capsule 3-valved, yellowish, hairless

VIOLA KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Plants without leafy stems; leaves and flower stalks arising from a woody base and/or plants with runners	2
1 Plants with leafy stems; flowers axillary, runners and woody bases 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 runners; leaves circular to kidney-shaped	V. renifolia
4 Plants with runners; leaves oval to kidney-shaped	5

5 Leaves hairy, at least when young; leaf and flower stalks reddish	V. blanda var. palustriformis
5 Leaves hairless; leaf and flower stalks 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; runners absent; woody base usually short and thick; lateral petals bearded or not; sepals with or without marginal hairs	8
7 Rhizome slender and cord-like; runners present or absent; woody base present or absent; lateral petals always bearded (except V. selkirkii); sepals without marginal hairs	10

8 Spurred petal beardless	V. sororia
8 Spurred petal bearded	9

9 Sepals with marginal hairs	V. septentrionalis
9 Sepals without marginal hairs	V. nephrophylla

10 Runners present; petal spur much shorter than the blade; lateral petals bearded; plants of moist meadows and streams	V. palustris var. palustris
10 Runners absent; petal spur to 2/3 as long as blade; lateral petals beardless; plants of woods and rocky slopes	V. selkirkii

11 Leaves lance-shaped to narrowly oval; flowers yellow, may have purple veins at the base	12
11 Leaves heart-shaped to kidney-shaped; flowers yellow, white or blue	13

12 Leaves usually at least three times as long as wide, lance-shaped to elliptic	V. nuttallii
12 Leaves less than three times as long as wide, narrowly oval	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, hairless; stipules oval; flowers lilac	V. conspersa
15 Leaves thick, glabrous to densely pubescent; stipules linear; flowers deep blue	16

16 Leaves densely hairy	V. adunca var. adunca
16 Leaves hairless	V. labradorica