common blue violet

(Viola sororia)

Conservation Status
common blue violet
 
  IUCN Red List

not listed

     
  NatureServe

N5? - Secure

SNR - Unranked

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
Wetland Indicator Status
     
  Great Plains

FAC - Facultative

     
  Midwest

FAC - Facultative

     
  Northcentral & Northeast

FAC - Facultative

     
           
 
Description
 
 

Common blue violet is a stemless 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 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 2 to 5 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 long, hairless capsule with many brown seeds. The capsule protrudes noticeably beyond the persistent sepals.

 
     
 

Height

 
 

3 to 8

 
     
 

Flower Color

 
 

Violet to white

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
 

Northern bog violet (Viola nephrophylla) lower petal is bearded.

 
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Moist to wet. Woods, meadows.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Flowering

 
 

April to June

 
     
 

Pests and Diseases

 
 

 

 
     
 
Use
 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 24, 28, 29, 30.

 
  3/22/2023      
         
 

Nativity

 
 

Native

 
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Widespread and very common

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Plantae (green algae and land plants)  
  Subkingdom Viridiplantae (green plants)  
  Infrakingdom Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)  
  Superdivision Embryophyta (land plants)  
  Division Tracheophyta (vascular plants)  
  Subdivision Spermatophytina (seed plants)  
  Class Magnoliopsida (flowering plants)  
  Superorder Rosanae  
 

Order

Malpighiales (nances, willows, and allies)  
 

Family

Violaceae (violet)  
  Subfamily Violoideae  
  Tribe Violeae  
  Genus Viola (violets)  
  Subgenus Viola (pansies and violets)  
  Section Nosphinium  
  Subsection Borealiamericanae (eastern American blue violets)  
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

Authorities do not agree on the subordinate taxa of Viola sororia. Some authorities, including GRIN and ITIS, list four varieties. In this classification, common blue violet is Viola sororia var. sororia and northern bog violet is Viola sororia var. affinis. Others, including USDA PLANTS, NCBI, Gleason & Cronquist, and Voss, do not recognize any varieties. In this classification, common blue violet is Viola sororia and northern bog violet is Viola nephrophylla. The Minnesota DNR (MNTaxa) follows the latter classification, as does MinnesotaSeasons.com.

 
       
 

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

 
       
 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

On plants: The stalk of a leaf blade or a compound leaf that attaches it to the stem. On ants and wasps: The constricted first one or two segments of the rear part of the body.

 

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.

 
 
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Luciearl

 
 

At the time I took this photo, I didn't realize there are several types of blue colored violets. I assume it is common blue violet.

  common blue violet  
 

Bill Reynolds

 
    common blue violet      
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

Plant

 
    common blue violet      
           
 

Flower

 
    common blue violet   common blue violet  
           
    common blue violet   common blue violet  
           
    common blue violet      
           
 

Spur

 
    common blue violet   common blue violet  
           
 

Leaves

 
    common blue violet      

 

Camera

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     
 
Slideshows
 
  Viola sororia COMMON BLUE VIOLET
Frank Mayfield
 
  Viola sororia COMMON BLUE VIOLET  
  Wood Violet
Joshua Mayer
 
  Wood Violet  

 

slideshow

       
 
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Other Videos
 
  MyNature Apps; Identifying Common Blue Violet, Viola sororia
MyNatureApps
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on May 14, 2011

Identifying Common Blue Violet, Viola sororia www.mynatureapps.com

   

 

Camcorder

 
 
Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

Report a sighting of this plant.

 
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  Luciearl
5/9/2016

Location: Cass County

At the time I took this photo, I didn't realize there are several types of blue colored violets. I assume it is common blue violet.

common blue violet  
  Bill Reynolds
6/1/2014

Location: Pennington County

common blue violet  
           
 
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