(Viola sororia)
Conservation Status | IUCN Red List |
not yet assessed |
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NatureServe |
N5? - Secure SNR - Unranked |
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Minnesota |
not listed |
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Wetland Indicator Status |
Great Plains |
FAC - Facultative | |||||
Midwest |
FAC - Facultative |
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Northcentral & Northeast |
FAC - Facultative |
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Nativity | Native |
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Occurrence | Common and widespread |
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Habitat | Moist to wet. Woods, meadows. |
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Flowering | April to June |
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Flower Color | Violet to white |
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Height | 3″ to 8″ |
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Identification | This is a common and widespread stemless blue violet. It is an erect, perennial forb that rises from an underground stem (rhizome). It can be 3″ to 12″ tall but in Minnesota it is usually no more than 8″ in height. The rhizome is short, stout, and horizontal or oblique. It sometimes branches to form colonies. It does not produce above-ground creeping runners (stolons). There is no central stem. A rosette of basal leaves rise directly from the rhizome on up to 6″ long leaf stalks (petioles). The petioles are strongly ascending, hairy, and have a single groove on the upper (dorsal) side. At the base of each petiole is a pair of leaf-like appendages (stipules). The stipules are green, less than ⅝″ long, and separate completely from the petiole. Leaf blades are held at an angle to the petiole. They are broadly egg-shaped to kidney-shaped, rounded or angled at the tip, and heart-shaped at the base. Most are as wide as they are long and most are broadly angled at the tip. They are unlobed except for the heart-shaped base. The sinus at the base of the blade is relatively broad and the lobes do not touch. Summer leaves are 2⅜″ to 5⅛″ wide. The hairiness of the leaves varies between populations, from nearly hairless to conspicuously covered with spreading hairs. The upper surface may be hairy or hairless. The lower surface is usually hairy at least at the base. The margins are toothed with rounded to slightly sharp teeth. One to several leafless flower stalks (scapes) rise from the rootstock at the middle of the rosette. The scape is erect, leafless, usually hairy, and topped with a solitary flower. It is abruptly curved downward near the top. It is usually about 4″ long, shorter than the petioles, and the flowers are usually overtopped by the leaves. Two types of flowers are produced: open, cross-pollinated (chasmogamous) flowers are produced in the spring; and closed, self-fertilizing (cleistogamous) flowers are produced in the summer. Cross-pollinated flowers are ¾″ to 13 ⁄16″ long and wide. There are 5 sepals, 5 petals, 5 stamens, and 1 style. The sepals are green and shorter than the petals. The petals are usually medium violet with a dark violet ring near the base and white at the base. They are sometimes completely white. The two upper petals are erect or bent backward. The two lateral petals are spreading, white at the base, and have a tuft of white hairs (beard) near the throat. The lower petal is as long as the lateral petals but is not bearded. It has conspicuous, dark purple veins near the throat and a hooked, rounded spur at the base. The 5 stamens are orange and have very short filaments. They do not protrude from the throat of the corolla and are concealed by the beards of the petals. The flowers are not fragrant. Self-pollinating flowers are inconspicuous. They occur on shorter scapes that may be arched or lie flat on the ground. The fruit is an egg-shaped to ellipse-shaped, ¼″ to ⅜″ long, hairless capsule with many brown seeds. The capsule protrudes noticeably beyond the persistent sepals. |
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Similar Species |
Northern bog violet (Viola nephrophylla) lower petal is bearded. |
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Distribution | ![]() |
Sources: 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 28. | |||||
Comments | Taxonomy |
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Taxonomy | Family: |
Violaceae (violet) |
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Subfamily: |
Violoideae |
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Tribe: |
Violeae |
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Synonyms | Viola chalcosperma Viola X champlainensis Viola floridana Viola X insessa Viola langloisii Viola langloisii var. pedatiloba Viola latiuscula Viola X melissifolia Viola X montivaga |
Viola X napae Viola palmata var. sororia Viola papilionacea Viola papilionacea var. priceana Viola priceana Viola rosacea Viola septentrionalis Viola septentrionalis var. septentrionalis Viola X subaffinis |
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Common Names |
bayou violet blue prairie violet butterfly violet dooryard violet downy blue violet hairy wood violet |
hooded blue violet meadow violet sister violet violet wood violet woolly blue violet |
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Glossary
Bearded
Bearing one or more tufts of hairs.
Cleistogamous
Automatically self-pollinating. Refers to bud-like flowers that do not open but automatically self-pollinate, or to plants with such flowers.
Petiole
The stalk of a leaf blade or compound leaf that attaches the leaf blade to the stem.
Rhizome
A horizontal, usually underground stem. It serves as a reproductive structure, producing roots below and shoots above at the nodes.
Scape
An erect, leafless stalk growing from the rootstock and supporting a flower or a flower cluster.
Stipule
A small, leaf-like appendage at the base of a leaf stalk or flower stalk.
Stolon
An above-ground, creeping stem that grows along the ground and produces roots and sometimes new plants at its nodes. A runner.
Visitor Photos |
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Bill Reynolds |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Plant |
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Flower |
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Spur |
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Leaves |
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Slideshows |
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Common Blue Violet (Viola sororia) Bill Keim |
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Viola sororia COMMON BLUE VIOLET Frank Mayfield |
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Wood Violet Joshua Mayer |
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Visitor Videos |
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Other Videos |
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MyNature Apps; Identifying Common Blue Violet, Viola sororia MyNatureApps |
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About
Uploaded on May 14, 2011 Identifying Common Blue Violet, Viola sororia www.mynatureapps.com |
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Visitor Sightings |
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Share your sighting of this plant. |
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Bill Reynolds 6/1/2014 |
Location: Pennington County |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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Avon Hills Forest SNA Cannon River Turtle Preserve SNA Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center Clinton Falls Dwarf Trout Lily SNA Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park Lake Alexander Woods SNA Minnesota Valley NWR Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park Robert Ney Memorial Park Reserve |
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