Viola adunca
Encyclopedia
Viola adunca is a species of violet known by the common names hookedspur violet, sand violet, and western dog violet. It is native to North America, including the western half of the United States to New England
northward throughout Canada.
This is a hairy, compact plant growing from a small rhizome
system. The leaves are spade- or heart-shaped, sometimes with broadly wavy margins. They are generally 1 to 4 centimeters long. The single-flowered inflorescence
grows at the end of a long, very thin peduncle
. The nodding flower is a violet with five purple petals, the lower three with white bases and purple veining. The upper two petals may have hooked spurs at their tips.
There are several varieties of V. adunca; a white-petaled form has been noted in Yosemite National Park
.
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
northward throughout Canada.
This is a hairy, compact plant growing from a small rhizome
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
system. The leaves are spade- or heart-shaped, sometimes with broadly wavy margins. They are generally 1 to 4 centimeters long. The single-flowered inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
grows at the end of a long, very thin peduncle
Peduncle (botany)
In botany, a peduncle is a stem supporting an inflorescence, or after fecundation, an infructescence.The peduncle is a stem, usually green and without leaves, though sometimes colored or supporting small leaves...
. The nodding flower is a violet with five purple petals, the lower three with white bases and purple veining. The upper two petals may have hooked spurs at their tips.
There are several varieties of V. adunca; a white-petaled form has been noted in Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
.