Viola sagittata

Viola sagittata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Violaceae
Genus: Viola
Species:
V. sagittata
Binomial name
Viola sagittata

Viola sagittata, commonly called the arrowleaf violet,[1] is a species of flowering plant in the violet family (Violaceae). It is native to the eastern North America in Canada and the United States, where it is widespread.[2] It is found in a variety of natural habitats, but is most common in dry, open communities such as prairies, glades, or woodlands, often in sandy or rocky soil.[3][4]

Viola sagittata is an stemless perennial. It can be distinguished from other Viola in its area by its leaves that are much longer than wide, with truncate to subcordate bases.[5] It produces purple flowers in the spring.[3]

Taxonomy

Two varieties are currently recognized.[4][6] They are quite distinct, which has led some taxonomists to consider them to be distinct species.[7] The varieties are:

  • V. sagittata var. ovata - Found primarily in the Appalachian Mountains and Great Lakes area.
  • V. sagittata var. sagittata - Widespread across eastern North America.

References

  1. ^ NRCS. "Viola sagittata". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  2. ^ "Viola sagittata". County-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
  3. ^ a b Hilty, John (2020). "Arrow-Leaved Violet (Viola sagittata)". Illinois Wildflowers.
  4. ^ a b Ballard Jr., Harvey E. "Viola sagittata". In Yatskievych, George (ed.). Flora of Missouri. Missouri Botanical Garden – via Tropicos.org.
  5. ^ Weakley, Alan (2015). "Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States".
  6. ^ Little, R. John; McKinney, Landon E. (2015). "Viola sagittata". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 6. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  7. ^ Reznicek, A. A.; Voss, E. G.; Walters, B. S., eds. (February 2011). "Viola sagittata". Michigan Flora Online. University of Michigan Herbarium.