Viola primulifolia
Viola primulifolia.jpg
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Violaceae
Genus: Viola
Species:
V. primulifolia
Binomial name
Viola primulifolia

Viola primulifolia, commonly called the primrose-leaf violet,[1] is a species of flowering plant in the violet family. It is native to eastern North America,[2] and possibly also to the Pacific Northwest.[3] Its natural habitat is wet acidic areas that are usually at least semi-open.[4]

It is a low, stemless perennial that produces white flowers in the spring.[5] It can be distinguished from the similar-looking Viola lanceolata and Viola blanda by its leaves that are ovate, with rounded to truncate bases, and are 1.5-2 times as long as wide.[4]

While typical Viola primulifolia occurs in a large area of the east, a variety of this species is sometimes credited to occur in a small area of western California and Oregon, under the name of V. primulifolia var. occidentalis.[6] These populations, which are considered rare and highly localized, have alternatively been referred to as Viola lanceolata ssp. occidentalis.[7]

References

  1. ^ Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States
  2. ^ "Viola primulifolia". County-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
  3. ^ Flora of North America
  4. ^ a b Chester, Edward (2015). Guide to the Vascular Plants of Tennessee.
  5. ^ IllinoisWildflowers
  6. ^ Calflora
  7. ^ PLANTS Profile for Viola lanceolata occidentalis Retrieved 2017-08-05