General:
Perennial herb from a short rootstalk, without stolons; stems erect, smooth, largely underground but the aerial stems 6-15 cm tall.
Leaves:
Basal leaves egg-shaped to lanceolate, entire or slightly wavy, smooth to sparsely hairy, the blades 2-6 cm long, 1-2.5 cm wide, the stalks 3-10 cm long; stem leaves few, similar; stipules joined to the stem with the free end entire to toothed, smooth.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of single, axillary flowers; petals 5, yellow, the lower petal 1.2-2 cm long including the 1- to 2-mm long spur, the lower 3 usually brown-penicilled and sometimes tinged with brown, the lateral pair bearded; sepals 5, lanceolate.
Fruits:
Capsules, smooth; seeds light brown.
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 nuttallii subsp. vallicola
Viola nuttallii var. major Hook.
Viola nuttallii var. vallicola
Viola praemorsa subsp. major (Hook.) M.S. Baker ex M. Peck
Viola praemorsa var. major (Hook.) M. Peck