Viola primulifolia

Viola primulifolia
Photo taken by Gil Nelson
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class:	Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Order:	Violales
Family:	Violaceae
Genus:	Viola
Species:	V. primulifolia
Binomial name
Viola primulifolia L. (pro sp.)
Natural range of Viola primulifolia from USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Common name: Primrose-leaf violet

Taxonomic notes

Synonyms: Viola primulifolia var. primulifolia; Viola primulifolia var. acuta (Bigelow) Torrey & A. Gray; Viola primulifolia var. villosa Eaton; V ×primulifolia Linnaeus (pro sp.) (lanceolata × macloskeyi)

Description

"Herbaceous, rhizomatous or stoloniferous perennials, or winter annuals. Leaves crenate or crenate-serrate, dissected, lobed or unlobed; petiolate; stipules conspicuous. Flowers zygomorphic, peduncles directly from the rhizome (acaulescent) or peduncles axillary (caulescent). Chasmogamous flowers with lateral petals often bearded, lower petal spurred; anthers usually seated in the throat, orange appendages conspicuous, lower stamens spurred; spurs fitting in to the spur of the corolla; styles usually clavate, variously shaped at the apex. Dates for Viola, except V. pedata, are for Chasmogamous flowering only, cleistogamous flowering and fruiting commence shortly after chasmogamous flowering and continues until frost. Hybrids are so numerous in this genus that space is not taken to list them."

"Plant acaulescent, rhizomes slender, rarely to 4 mm in diam., stoloniferous. Leaves lance-ovate to widely lanceolate, acute to obtuse, crenate, base truncate to rounded, blade tissue decurrent on the petiole, glabrous or pubescent; petioles 2-18 cm long, glabrous or pubescent; stipules linear to linear-lanceolate, to 2 cm long, acute to acuminate, entire or fimbriate. Peduncles longer than to equaling leaves. Chasmogamous flowers 1-2 cm broad, petals white, beardless, spurred petal veins purple 4-6 mm long, acute, glabrous eciliate, auricles 0.5-1 mm long. Cleistogamous flowers on erect peduncles 2-11 cm long, sepals as in the chasmogamous flowers or auricles to 2 mm long. Capsule 5-8 mm long, glabrous. Seeds brown, 1-1.2 mm long."

Ecology

Habitat

In the Coastal Plain in Florida and Georgia, V. primulifolia can be found in hardwood forests, bordering titi-flatwoods, river floodplains, meadows adjacent to rivers, wet flatwoods, pine-palmetto flats, mixed deciduous woods, pine-live oak sandy woodlands, shallow sphagnum bogs, beech magnolia forests, edges of cypress swamps, red bay swamps, burned pinewoods, and boggy areas. It can also be found along powerline corridors, cultivated fields, sandy roads, roadsides and lawns. Soil types include loamy sand, sandy loam, sandy peat, sandy clay, and loam. Associated species include Viola lanceolata, Dryopteris, Illicium, Arisaema, Viola septemloba, Dichondra, Oxalis, Carex, and Juncus.

Phenology

It has been documented to flower January through April, June, and December with peak inflorescence in March; and to fruit February through June, November and December.