Viola adunca (Early Blue Violet) - photos and description
Species has leafy stems, and scapes rising from leaf axils
Spur on flower above is hooked
General: Plants with a tufted growth habit with
leafy stems. Stems with very short hairs.
Taxonomic
key to Saskatchewan's violets.
Flowers: Grow singly on peduncles from leaf axils. The lateral petals are white-bearded, with spurs to 6 mm long, and 3 mm wide, either blunt-ended or hooked. Flowers are purple-blue, and appear in late April and May. Flowers measured from 10 to 15 mm in diameter. Plants low growing, usually 15 cm or less in height.
Leaves: Leaves are ovate with cordate bases, are crenate (have round teeth), and usually have a rounded tip. There are stem leaves, alternate. Leaf with very short hairs on the top and bottom. The leaf highlighted in the photo above was 20 mm long and 15 mm wide.
Height: Plants low growing, usually 15 cm or less in height, we measured plants to 10 cm tall.
Habitat: Grassland, prairie hillsides, and in clearings and edges of aspen woods.
Abundance: Common.
Origin: Native.
When and where photographed: Above photos taken April 29th at the Buffalo Grass Eco Reserve, 200 km southeast of Regina, May 8th in the Cypress Hills 400 km southwest of Regina, SK, May 21st in Buffalo Pound Provincial Park, about 70 km west of Regina, SK, and June 3rd in the Cypress Hills, about 425 km southwest of our home in Regina, SK.