Viola pedatifida - (image 1 of 3)
Taxonomy
Family: Violaceae
Habitat
Prairie remnants, hill prairies.
Associates
Distribution
Alberta south to OK, east to Manitoba, MI, IN, and cedar glades of KY and TN.
Morphology
Herbaceous perennial from a short rootstock. Leaves all basal, ascending or erect, strongly dissected, typically 3-parted, with each division again cleft into linear lobes again cut into 2-4 segments. Flowers equaling or slightly surpassing the early leaves, deep to pale violet, sometimes streaked or white, 2-3 cm wide; 3 lower petals bearded or the spurred petals occasionally beardless; cleistogamous flowers on prostrate or erect peduncles. Fruit ovoid to ellipsoid, surpassing the sepals; seeds brown.
Notes
Flowers late April to early June
Wetland indicator: Facultative Upland -
May be closely aligned with V. palmata, a plant of savannas that occurs from ME west to MN, south to FL and TX. Gleason & Cronquist consider V. pedatifida to be a variety of V. palamata.
References
Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Second Ed.
The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY
Swink, F. and G. Wilhelm. 1994. Plants of the Chicago Region.
Indiana Academy of Science. The Morton Arboretum. Lisle, Illinois.
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Michael Hough © 2005 |