Viola selkirkii Pursh ex Goldie
Selkirk's violet (great spurred violet)
Violaceae (Violet family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Curtis Bjork     (Photo ID #16550)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Viola selkirkii
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend

Species Information

General:
Perennial herb from a slender, elongate rootstock, without stolons, plants up to 5 cm tall; stems lacking.
Leaves:
Basal leaves heart to egg-shaped, round-toothed, the blades 1.2-3 cm long, 1-3 cm wide, hairy above especially along the veins, the stalks 1.5-5 cm long; stem leaves lacking; stipules joined to the stalks, glandular-toothed, 6-15 mm long.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of single, axillary flowers; petals 5, pale violet, the lower petal 8-13 mm long including the 3-5 mm long spur, all petals smooth; sepals 5, lanceolate; style heads smooth.
Fruits:
Capsules, nearly round, seeds pale brown.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Illustration

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.

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Viola selkirkii

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Avg

Min

Max

Elevation (metres)
917 740 1070
Slope Gradient (%)
13 8 28

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

29 8 360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
5 5 6
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
D
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
4
Modal BEC Zone Class
SBS

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

SBS(4)

Habitat and Range

Mesic to moist rock outcrops, thickets, swamps and open forests in the montane zone; infrequent in SC BC and WC BC; circumpolar, N to AK, YT and SW NT, E to NF and S to ME, NH, PA, OH, WI, MN, SD and WA, disjunct in NM; Eurasia.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia