familyViolaceae
genusViola

Viola blanda

Willdenow

Hort. Berol. 1(2): plate 24. 1804.

Common names: Sweet white violet violette agréable
EndemicIllustrated
Synonyms: Viola blanda var. palustriformis A. Gray V. incognita G. Don V. incognita var. forbesii Brainerd V. leconteana
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 6. Treatment on page 124. Mentioned on page 111, 115, 125, 128, 130, 143, 148.

Plants perennial, acaulescent, stoloniferous, 3–20 cm; stolons pale, often rooting and leafy at nodes; rhizome short, slender, fleshy. Leaves basal, 2–9, prostrate to ascending; stipules linear-lanceolate, margins entire, apex acute; petiole 2–11 cm, usually sparsely pubescent; blade unlobed, reniform to ovate, 2–4 × 2–4 cm, base cordate, lobes often overlapping, margins serrate, ciliate or eciliate, apex rounded or acute to acuminate, surfaces sometimes glabrous, usually sparsely pubescent adaxially. Peduncles 3–11 cm, glabrous or pubescent. Flowers: sepals lanceolate to ovate, margins mostly eciliate, auricles 1–2 mm; petals white on both surfaces, lower 3 purple-veined, lateral 2 usually beardless, lowest 8–10 mm, spur white, gibbous, 1–2 mm; style head beardless; cleistogamous flowers axillary. Capsules ovoid to ellipsoid, 4–6 mm, glabrous. Seeds beige to bronze, 1.5–2 mm. 2n = 44, 48.


Phenology: Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat: Rich woods
Elevation: 30–2000 m

Distribution

V6 204-distribution-map.jpg

Alta., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr., N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Ala., Conn., Del., D.C., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Ky., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Pa., R.I., S.C., Tenn., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis.

Discussion

Viola blanda occurs in small colonies; individual plants are interconnected by stolons.

Whether to recognize Viola incognita at any taxonomic level is currently unresolved. It is said to have pubescent

leaf blades, greenish peduncles, nontwisted lateral petals, and a preference for moister habitats. Most of these characters fall within the range of variation observed in V. blanda.

N. H. Russell (1965) noted that Viola incognita is principally found in glaciated areas whereas V. blanda is found in nonglaciated areas. Á. Löve and D. Löve (1982b) and J. M. Canne (1987) reported a chromosome count of 2n = 44; J. Clausen (1929) and A. Gershoy (1934) reported 2n = 48. V. B. Baird (1942) reported that V. blanda (and V. incognita) have fragrant flowers.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Viola blanda"
R. John Little +  and Landon E. McKinney† +
Willdenow +
Sweet white violet +  and violette agréable +
Alta. +, Man. +, N.B. +, Nfld. and Labr. +, N.S. +, Ont. +, P.E.I. +, Que. +, Sask. +, Ala. +, Conn. +, Del. +, D.C. +, Ga. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Ky. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, N.Dak. +, Ohio +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.C. +, Tenn. +, Vt. +, Va. +, W.Va. +  and Wis. +
30–2000 m +
Rich woods +
Flowering Apr–Jun. +
Hort. Berol. +
Endemic +  and Illustrated +
Viola blanda var. palustriformis +, V. incognita +, V. incognita var. forbesii +  and V. leconteana +
Viola blanda +
species +