Viola sororia Willd.
northern violet
Violaceae (Violet family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
northern violet
Violaceae (Violet family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
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Species Information
General:
Perennial herb from a scaly rootstalk, without stolons, plants up to 20 cm long; stems lacking.
Leaves:
Basal leaves heart- to triangular-shaped, 2-7 cm long, 3-7 cm wide, coarsely toothed, stiff-hairy, the stalks 3-20 cm long; stem leaves lacking; stipules membranous, oblong-lanceolate, 5-10 mm long, glandular-fringed.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of single, axillary flowers; petals 5, bluish-violet, the lower petal 12-20 mm long including the 1- to 2-mm long spur, the lower 3 white-based and long-hairy at the base; sepals 5, lanceolate, fringed; style heads smooth.
Fruits:
Capsules, smooth, nearly round, purplish; seeds dark brown.
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.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
USDA Species Characteristics
Flower Colour:
Purple
Blooming Period:
Mid Spring
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Brown
Present from Spring to Summer
Source: The USDA
Habitat and Range
Mesic to moist open forests in the montane zone; rare in S BC; disjunct in SK, ON, E to NF and S to ME, NH, PA, NC, TN, IA, NE, MT and WA.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Viola septentrionalis Greene