Species: Viola sororia Willd.

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Viola sororia Willd.

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* 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

Viola sororia 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:

acaulescent; caudex frequently branching; stolons absent

Leaves:

basal, petioles villous, blades 2 – 3 cm wide, ovate to reniform, base distinctly cordate, apex obtuse to acute, young leaves densely villous, dark green, margin uniformly toothed

Inflorescence:

flowers solitary; peduncles usually shorter than or equal to leaves; cleistogamous flowers on prostrate peduncles

Flowers:

perfect, zygomorphic; calyx 5-merous, lanceolate to ovate, short-ciliate at base, auricles appressed; corolla 5-merous, spurred petal beardless or sparingly pubescent, lateral petals bearded, spur blunt, deep violet to purple; stamens 5; ovary superior

Fruits:

capsule 3-valved, yellowish, 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