Viola utahensis

M. S. Baker & J. C. Clausen

Leafl. W. Bot. 5: 145. 1949.

Endemic
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 6. Treatment on page 162. Mentioned on page 118, 122, 148, 153.

Plants perennial, caulescent, not stoloniferous, 5–20 cm. Stems 1–4, prostrate, decumbent, or erect, leafy proximally and distally, glabrate or sparsely puberulent, on caudex from subligneous rhizome. Leaves basal and cauline; basal: 1–3; stipules adnate to petiole, forming 2 linearlanceolate wings, margins entire or laciniate with glandular-hairs, apex of each wing free, acute, sometimes divided into several filiform processes; petiole 2–8 (–12) cm, glabrate or sparsely puberulent; blade usually broadly ovate, sometimes ± orbiculate, 1–4.5 × 0.7–3.4 cm, base usually attenuate, rarely truncate or subcordate, margins ± coarsely crenate-serrate, ciliate, apex obtuse, surfaces glabrate or sparsely puberulent; cauline similar to basal except: stipules lanceolate or linearlanceolate to linear, margins ± entire or lacerate to laciniate with sparse gland-tipped projections, apex acute to acuminate, often divided into 2–4 filiform processes; petiole 3–8.7 cm; blade ovate to oblong-ovate or oblong-lanceolate, 0.7–1.6 × 2.6–3.7 cm, margins shallowly serrate, irregularly crenate, or ± entire, apex acute to obtuse. Peduncles 4–10 cm, glabrate or sparsely puberulent. Flowers: sepals lanceolate, margins ciliate or eciliate, auricles 1–1.5 mm; petals deep lemon-yellow adaxially, upper 2 and sometimes lateral 2 reddish-brown to brownish purple abaxially, lower 3 and sometimes upper 2 dark brown-veined, lateral 2 sparsely bearded, lowest 10–13 mm, spur yellow, gibbous, 0.5–1.5 mm; style head bearded; cleistogamous flowers axillary. Capsules ± spherical, 6–7 mm, glabrous or finely puberulent. Seeds brown, ca. 3 mm. 2n = 24.


Phenology: Flowering May.
Habitat: Open sagebrush areas, semidesert slopes, grasslands, open forests
Elevation: 1200–2600 m

Distribution

V6 294-distribution-map.jpg

Colo., Idaho, Nev., Utah, Wyo.

Discussion

Viola utahensis occurs only in areas where its closest relatives, V. vallicola and V. purpurea var. venosa, are also found and it appears to have originated from the crossing of those taxa followed by a doubling of the chromosomes (M. S. Baker 1949). The elaiosome of V. utahensis seeds has the same general appearance as those of other members of V. purpurea complex (except V. purpurea var. venosa), covering about one-third the length of the seed. G. Davidse (1976) found that tetraploid members of Clausen’s “subsect.” Purpurea (V. utahensis) have serrate leaf margins; diploid plants (V. purpurea) have crenate leaf margins. He also found that the size of V. utahensis plants is correlated with elevation, the largest plants at low elevations and the smallest at higher elevations.

G. Davidse (1976) reported putative hybrids between Viola utahensis and V. praemorsa subsp. major (= var. linguifolia), V. purpurea var. venosa, and V. beckwithii.

Observed pollinators of Viola utahensis in Utah include the bees Apis mellifera Linnaeus and Anthophora ursina Cresson (G. Davidse 1976). In other populations, flies in the genera Eristalis Latreille and Bombylius Linnaeus were observed indiscriminately visiting the yellow-flowered species V. praemorsa subsp. major, V. utahensis, and V. vallicola (Davidse).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"thick" is not a number. "narrow" is not a number.

... more about "Viola utahensis"
acute;obtuse +
not +  and prominent +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
R. John Little +  and Landon E. McKinney† +
M. S. Baker & J. C. Clausen +
subcordate +, truncate +  and attenuate +
overlapping +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (4.5 cm45 mm <br />0.045 m <br />) +
ovate +  and oblong-ovate or oblong-lanceolate +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (3.4 cm34 mm <br />0.034 m <br />) +
puberulent +  and glabrous +
muriculate +
spherical +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1.6 cm16 mm <br />0.016 m <br />) +
2.6 cm26 mm <br />0.026 m <br /> (3.7 cm37 mm <br />0.037 m <br />) +
Colo. +, Idaho +, Nev. +, Utah +  and Wyo. +
ovoid +  and spheroid +
1200–2600 m +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
2 +  and produced in summer , apetalous or petals +
cleistogamous +
3-valved +  and capsular +
loculicidal +
Open sagebrush areas, semidesert slopes, grasslands, open forests +
stoloniferous +, rhizomatous +, taprooted +  and simple +
scattered +  and concentrated +
variously--shaped +
1(-3)[-5]-flowered +
petiolate +  and simple +
cauline +  and basal +
unlobed +
not narrowed +
eciliate +  and ciliate +
entire +, crenate +, serrate +, less entire or lacerate +  and laciniate +
syngenesious +
crassinucellate +  and bitegmic +
puberulent +  and glabrate +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br />) +
dark brown-veined +, reddish-brown +  and brownish purple +
lowest +, lateral +, upper +  and lower +
2 +  and 3 +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br />) +
8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br /> (12 cm120 mm <br />0.12 m <br />) +
puberulent +  and glabrate +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (8.7 cm87 mm <br />0.087 m <br />) +
Flowering May. +
[2-]3[-5]-carpellate +
Leafl. W. Bot. +
deep-seated +
subligneous +
ovoid;spherical +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (?) +
lanceolate +
subequal +
longitudinal +
acaulescent +  and caulescent +
elongated +
gibbous +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
adherent +, not adherent +  and distinct +
shallow +
deciduous +
erect;decumbent;erect;decumbent +
puberulent +  and glabrate +
subligneous +  and fleshy +
linearlanceolate;lanceolate +
hollow +  and solid +
beardless +  and bearded +
enlarged +
puberulent +  and glabrate +
Chrysion +, Crocion +  and Lophion +
Viola utahensis +
species +
not stoloniferous +  and caulescent +
prostrate +  and erect +
hairy +  and glabrous +