Viola vallicola

A. Nelson

Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 26: 128. 1899.

Endemic
Synonyms: Crocion vallicola (A. Nelson) Nieuwland & Lunell Viola nuttallii subsp. vallicola (A. Nelson) Roy L. Taylor & MacBryde V. nuttallii var. vallicola (A. Nelson) H. St. John V. physalodes B. Boivin V. russellii Suksdorf V. subsagittifolia
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 6. Treatment on page 162. Mentioned on page 118, 132, 140, 146, 163.

Plants perennial, caulescent, not stoloniferous, 2–18 cm. Stems 1–5, decumbent or ascending to erect, leafy proximally and distally, ca. 1/2 subterranean, glabrate to puberulent, on caudex from usually vertical, subligneous rhizome. Leaves basal and cauline; basal: 1–6; stipules adnate to petiole, forming 2 linearlanceolate wings, margins entire, apex of each wing free, sometimes divided into filiform processes; petiole 3–10 cm, glabrous or puberulent; blade ovate to oblong-ovate, 1.5–4.3 × 0.9–1.1 cm, base usually truncate, sometimes attenuate, margins entire or serrulate, sometimes sinuate, ciliate (sometimes only on proximal 1/2 of leaf), apex acute to obtuse, surfaces glabrous or puberulent; cauline similar to basal except: stipules linear to linearlanceolate, margins ± entire, apex acute; petiole 1.5–9.2 cm; blade ovate or lanceolate to elliptic, 2.3–4 × 1–2 cm, length ca. 2.2 times width, base usually ± truncate to subcordate, sometimes attenuate on new leaves, margins sinuate, apex acute. Peduncles 3–11.5 cm, glabrous or puberulent. Flowers: sepals lanceolate, margins eciliate, auricles 0.5–1 mm; petals deep lemon-yellow adaxially or on both surfaces, upper 2 often brownish purple abaxially, lower 3 dark-brown to brownish purple-veined, lateral 2 sparsely bearded, lowest 9–14 mm, spur yellow, gibbous, 0.8–1.2 mm; style head bearded; cleistogamous flowers axillary. Capsules spherical, ca. 5 mm, glabrous or finely puberulent. Seeds tan, 2.1–2.2 mm, elaiosome extending beyond and covering funiculus. 2n = 12.


Phenology: Flowering late Mar–early Jul.
Habitat: Sagebrush flats, prairie grasslands, open forests, juniper woodlands
Elevation: 400–2800 m

Distribution

V6 295-distribution-map.jpg

B.C., Sask., Colo., Kans., Mont., N.Dak., S.Dak., Wyo.

Discussion

D. M. Fabijan et al. (1987) distinguished two varieties of Viola vallicola based on geographic location and type of leaf flavonoids: 1) var. major (Hooker) Fabijan, occurring west of the Continental Divide with leaf flavonoids primarily kaempferol derivatives; and 2) var. vallicola occurring east of the Continental Divide with leaf flavonoids all apigenin derivatives. Fabijan et al. reported that var. major (valley violet) occurs in sagebrush flats, prairie grasslands, open forests, juniper woodlands, 400–2800 m, in Alberta, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.

M. S. Baker (1957) noted that there is only a tendency for leaves of Viola vallicola to be wide with truncate bases; on some plants only a few leaves are truncate. Images of type specimens at NY show truncate leaf bases for most basal and cauline leaves, with only some cauline leaves being attenuate. The key to V. vallicola in D. M. Fabijan et al. (1987) described the cauline leaf bases as truncate with some later cauline leaves becoming cuneate. G. Davidse (1976) stated that the V. vallicola plants he studied had cordate to truncate leaf bases; he made no distinction between basal and cauline leaves. Baker stated that V. vallicola may have given rise to V. nuttallii through a doubling of its chromosomes.

Because intermediate leaf forms are found in areas where Viola vallicola and V. nuttallii are sympatric, some question the specific status of V. vallicola. No hybrids involving V. nuttallii and V. vallicola are known (D. M. Fabijan et al. 1987).

V. Harms (pers. comm.) reported that Viola vallicola is frequent in southern Saskatchewan grasslands, usually occurring with V. nuttallii and appearing the more frequent of the two.

Observed pollinators of Viola vallicola in the intermountain region include flies in the genera Bombylius Linnaeus and Eristalis Latreille (G. Davidse 1976).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

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

... more about "Viola vallicola"
acute;acute;acute;obtuse +
not +  and prominent +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
R. John Little +  and Landon E. McKinney† +
A. Nelson +
attenuate +, less truncate +  and subcordate +
overlapping +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (4.3 cm43 mm <br />0.043 m <br />) +
lanceolate +  and elliptic +
0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> (1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br />) +
puberulent +  and glabrous +
muriculate +
spherical +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (?) +
2.3 cm23 mm <br />0.023 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
B.C. +, Sask. +, Colo. +, Kans. +, Mont. +, N.Dak. +, S.Dak. +  and Wyo. +
ovoid +  and spheroid +
400–2800 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 +
Sagebrush flats, prairie grasslands, open forests, juniper woodlands +
stoloniferous +, rhizomatous +, taprooted +  and simple +
scattered +  and concentrated +
variously--shaped +
1(-3)[-5]-flowered +
petiolate +  and simple +
cauline +  and basal +
unlobed +
not narrowed +
entire +  and serrulate +
syngenesious +
crassinucellate +  and bitegmic +
puberulent +  and glabrous +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (11.5 cm115 mm <br />0.115 m <br />) +
dark-brown to brownish purple-veined +, brownish purple +, on both surfaces +  and lemon-yellow +
lowest +, lateral +, lower +  and upper +
2 +  and 3 +
0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> (1.4 cm14 mm <br />0.014 m <br />) +
puberulent +  and glabrous +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (9.2 cm92 mm <br />0.092 m <br />) +
Flowering late Mar–early Jul. +
[2-]3[-5]-carpellate +
Bull. Torrey Bot. Club +
deep-seated +
subligneous +
ovoid;spherical +
0.21 cm2.1 mm <br />0.0021 m <br /> (0.22 cm2.2 mm <br />0.0022 m <br />) +
lanceolate +
subequal +
longitudinal +
acaulescent +  and caulescent +
elongated +
gibbous +
0.08 cm0.8 mm <br />8.0e-4 m <br /> (0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br />) +
adherent +, not adherent +  and distinct +
shallow +
deciduous +
prostrate +  and decumbent +
subterranean +
ascending;erect +
glabrate +  and puberulent +
subligneous +  and fleshy +
hollow +  and solid +
beardless +  and bearded +
enlarged +
puberulent +  and glabrous +
Crocion vallicola +, Viola nuttallii subsp. vallicola +, V. nuttallii var. vallicola +, V. physalodes +, V. russellii +  and V. subsagittifolia +
Viola vallicola +
species +
not stoloniferous +  and caulescent +
prostrate +  and erect +
hairy +  and glabrous +