Viola missouriensis

Greene

Pittonia 4: 141. 1900.

Common names: Missouri violet
Endemic
Synonyms: Viola candidula Nieuwland V. langloisii Greene V. lucidifolia Newbro V. sororia var. missouriensis (Greene) L. E. McKinney
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 6. Treatment on page 138. Mentioned on page 116, 120.

Plants perennial, acaulescent, not stoloniferous, 5–50 cm; rhizomes thick, fleshy. Leaves basal, 1–8, ascending to erect; stipules linear-lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, margins entire, sometimes distally glandular, apex acute; petiole 5–20 cm, glabrous; blade green abaxially, unlobed, usually narrowly to broadly deltate, 1.5–12 × 1.5–10 cm, not fleshy, base cordate or broadly cordate to truncate, margins ± crenate to serrate, ciliate or eciliate, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces glabrous, rarely pubescent. Peduncles 3–25 cm, usually glabrous. Flowers: sepals lanceolate to ovate, margins ciliate or eciliate, auricles 1–2 mm; petals light to dark blue-violet, lowest and sometimes lateral 2 purple-veined, lateral 2 bearded, lowest beardless, rarely lightly bearded, 15–25 mm, spur same color as petals, gibbous, 2–3 mm; style head beardless; cleistogamous flowers on prostrate to ascending peduncles. Capsules ellipsoid, 5–12 mm, glabrous. Seeds beige, mottled to bronze, 1.5–2.5 mm. 2n = 54.


Phenology: Flowering Mar–May.
Habitat: Swamps, thickets, stream banks, alluvial woods
Elevation: 50–2000 m

Distribution

V6 236-distribution-map.jpg

Ala., Ark., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., La., Md., Minn., Miss., Mo., Nebr., N.J., N.Mex., N.C., Okla., S.C., S.Dak., Tenn., Tex., Va., Wis.

Discussion

What many have treated as Viola affinis, especially in the southern Gulf coastal states, is likely to be V. missouriensis. N. H. Russell (1965) considered the two as likely part of a species complex inhabiting alluvial woods and wet areas and exhibiting the typical deltate leaf blade shape. L. E. McKinney (1992) considered V. missouriensis a variety of V. sororia. Viola missouriensis appears to have a closer affinity to V. affinis, as Russell suggested; current evidence suggests maintaining V. missouriensis as a separate species.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Viola missouriensis"
R. John Little +  and Landon E. McKinney† +
Greene +
Missouri violet +
Ala. +, Ark. +, Del. +, D.C. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Kans. +, La. +, Md. +, Minn. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, Nebr. +, N.J. +, N.Mex. +, N.C. +, Okla. +, S.C. +, S.Dak. +, Tenn. +, Tex. +, Va. +  and Wis. +
50–2000 m +
Swamps, thickets, stream banks, alluvial woods +
Flowering Mar–May. +
Viola candidula +, V. langloisii +, V. lucidifolia +  and V. sororia var. missouriensis +
Viola missouriensis +
species +