Viola brittoniana

Pollard

Bot. Gaz. 26: 332. 1898.

Common names: Coast or coastal violet
Endemic
Basionym: Viola atlantica Britton Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 24: 92. 1897,
Synonyms: V. baxteri House V. brittoniana var. pectinata (E. P. Bicknell) Alexander V. pectinata G. Don V. pedatifida subsp. brittoniana (Pollard) L. E. McKinney V. pedatifida var. brittoniana (Pollard) R. J. Little & L. E. McKinney
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 6. Treatment on page 125. Mentioned on page 115, 120, 128.

Plants perennial, acaulescent, not stoloniferous, 5–30 cm; rhizome thick, fleshy. Leaves basal, 5–9, ascending to erect, 5–9-lobed; stipules linearlanceolate, margins entire, apex obtuse; petiole 3–16 cm, usually glabrous; mid-season blades incised or lobed throughout, earliest blades lobed (plants homophyllous), similar to mid-season blades, middle and lateral blade lobes differ in width and/or shape, middle lobes lanceolate or spatulate to narrowly obovate, lateral lobes lanceolate or spatulate to falcate (each sometimes with deltate to falcate appendages or teeth along margins), 1–7 × 2–8 cm, base truncate to cordate, margins entire, ciliate, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces usually glabrous, rarely with a few strigose, hairs concentrated on veins. Peduncles 5–18 cm, usually glabrous. Flowers: sepals lanceolate to ovate, margins ciliate or eciliate, auricles 2–3 mm; petals light to soft reddish violet on both surfaces, lower 3 white basally, dark violet-veined, lateral 2 bearded, lowest 10–25 mm, sometimes bearded, spur same color as petals, gibbous, 2–3 mm; style head beardless; cleistogamous flowers on ascending to erect peduncles. Capsules ellipsoid, 10–15 mm, glabrous. Seeds beige, mottled to bronze, 1.5–2.5 mm. 2n = 54.


Phenology: Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat: Alluvial woods, mesic forests on slopes near streams, wet fields, salt meadows
Elevation: 0–100 m

Distribution

V6 205-distribution-map.jpg

Conn., Del., Maine, Md., Mass., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Pa., S.C., Va.

Discussion

Britton considered Viola brittoniana similar to V. pedatifida, apparently making him the first to recognize their affinity. Both are homophyllous and similar in other characters (L. E. McKinney 1992). McKinney recognized V. brittoniana as a variety of V. pedatifida. Additional evidence (N. L. Gil-Ad 1997; A. Haines 2011) suggests that these taxa are sufficiently distinct to continue recognition as separate species.

Viola pectinata has sharply dentate leaves and is closely related to V. brittoniana, usually occurring with it. N. L. Gil-Ad (1997) made a convincing argument to recognize it as a form; A. Haines (2011) recognized it as a species. Others have considered it to be a sporadic form that may be of hybrid origin, or, as N. H. Russell (1965) suggested, is due to genetic dimorphism. We are reserving a decision on treating this taxon until additional studies are completed.

A. Haines (2011) reported that the distribution of Viola brittoniana in Maine is actually based on the hybrid V. ×insolita House (V. brittoniana × V. sororia).

Viola brittoniana reportedly hybridizes with V. cucullata (= V. ×notabilis E. P. Bicknell), V. sagittata var. sagittata (= V. ×mulfordiae Pollard), and V. sororia (= V. ×insolita).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"thick" is not a number.

... more about "Viola brittoniana"
acute;obtuse +
not +  and prominent +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
R. John Little +  and Landon E. McKinney† +
Pollard +
truncate +  and cordate +
Viola atlantica +
overlapping +
lobed +  and incised +
muriculate +
ellipsoid +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
Coast or coastal violet +
Conn. +, Del. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, Pa. +, S.C. +  and Va. +
ovoid +  and spheroid +
0–100 m +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
lateral +  and upper +
2 +  and produced in summer , apetalous or petals +
cleistogamous +
3-valved +  and capsular +
loculicidal +
Alluvial woods, mesic forests on slopes near streams, wet fields, salt meadows +
stoloniferous +, rhizomatous +, taprooted +  and simple +
scattered +  and concentrated +
variously--shaped +
1(-3)[-5]-flowered +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br />) +
spatulate;falcate +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
petiolate +  and simple +
ascending;erect +
5-9-lobed +
not narrowed +
eciliate +  and ciliate +
auriculate +
shape +  and width +
spatulate +  and narrowly obovate +
syngenesious +
crassinucellate +  and bitegmic +
ascending +  and erect +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (18 cm180 mm <br />0.18 m <br />) +
dark violet-veined +, white +, light +  and soft reddish violet +
lowest +, lateral +  and lower +
2 +  and 3 +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (16 cm160 mm <br />0.16 m <br />) +
Flowering Apr–Jun. +
[2-]3[-5]-carpellate +
deep-seated +
mottled;bronze +
ovoid;spherical +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br />) +
lanceolate +  and ovate +
subequal +
longitudinal +
acaulescent +  and caulescent +
elongated +
gibbous +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
adherent +, not adherent +  and distinct +
leafy +  and simple +
shallow +
deciduous +
prostrate +  and decumbent +
vertical;horizontal;erect;ascending +
subligneous +  and fleshy +
hollow +  and solid +
beardless +  and bearded +
enlarged +
V. baxteri +, V. brittoniana var. pectinata +, V. pectinata +, V. pedatifida subsp. brittoniana +  and V. pedatifida var. brittoniana +
Viola brittoniana +
species +
not stoloniferous +  and acaulescent +
prostrate +  and erect +
hairy +  and glabrous +