General:
Perennial herb from a rhizome, without stolons; stems lacking in spring but developing aerial stems as the season progresses, ascending, usually hairy, 2-10 cm tall.

Leaves:
Basal leaves egg-shaped to heart-shaped, the margins blunt-toothed, the blades 0.5-4 cm long, smooth or hairy, the stalks 5-7 cm long; stem leaves similar, sometimes few; stipules jagged or sharp-toothed (at least basally), reddish-brown or greenish, often with reddish-brown flecks, 3-10 mm long.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of single, axillary flowers; petals 5, blue to deep violet, lower petal 8-16 mm long including the 4- to 8-mm long spur, the spur not pouched, lowest 3 petals often whitish with purple markings, lateral pair white-bearded; sepals 5, lanceolate, 1/3 to 1/2 as long as the petals; style heads bearded with short to long hairs.

Fruits:
Capsules, smooth, 6-11 mm long; seeds dark brown.

Notes:
A highly variable species in which a number of morphological phases have received dubious taxonomic recognition. A compact, dwarf form, smooth, with dark blue flowers, that occurs sporadically at high elevations has been described as var. bellidifolia (Greene) Harrington.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Illustration Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Viola adunca subsp. ashtonae M.S. Baker
Viola adunca subsp. radicosa M.S. Baker
Viola adunca subsp. typica M.S. Baker
Viola adunca subsp. uncinulata (Greene) Applegate
Viola adunca var. bellidifolia (Greene) Harrington
Viola adunca var. cascadensis (M.S. Baker) C.L. Hitchc.
Viola adunca var. uncinulata (Greene) C.L. Hitchc.
Viola aduncoides A. L÷ve & D. L÷ve
Viola bellidifolia Greene
Viola cascadensis M.S. Baker
Viola montanensis Rydb.
Viola subvestita Greene