Viola latiuscula Greene. Common name: Broad-leaved Wood Violet. Phenology: May-Jun. Habitat: Dry sandy soils of upland forests. Distribution: New York, and Vermont, and Ontario. Previous reports from Pennsylvania have been excluded as misidentifications (Ballard, Kartesz, & Nishino 2023).
ID notes: This species is similar to a few Borealiamericanae taxa with glabrous foliage and leaves nearly as broad as to broader than long. In chasmogamous flower it differs from V. communis, V. domestica, V. sororia var. 1) and V. sororia var. 2 in its densely bearded spurred petal, from V. nephrophylla in its acute sepals, and from V. pratincola and V. retusa in its short rounded auricles. In cleistogamous fruit it is distinguished from other species by its broadly deltate-reniform leaf blades with truncate to subcordate base and obtuse to abruptly broadly acute apex; from V. communis, V. domestica, V. pratincola, and V. retusa in its spotted or blotched cleistogamous capsule on a short prostrate peduncle; from V. affinis and V. missouriensis by its purplish black seeds and additionally from the latter in its acute eciliate sepals; and from the V. sororia variants by its purplish-black weakly marked seeds.
Origin/Endemic status: N. North America
Taxonomy Comments: Russell's (1965) mystifying and inaccurate references to cut leaf blades and southern geographic distribution notwithstanding, type material and herbarium specimens reveal several consistent traits of leaves, flowers and seeds separating it from V. affinis and other species, as well as a preference for dry sandy woodland soils. As an overlooked regional endemic, the species remains rather poorly understood and probably overlooked.
Synonymy ⓘ: = F, K4, POWO, Ballard, Kartesz, & Nishino (2023); < Viola sororia Willdenow — Can, FNA6, NS, Pa. Basionym: Viola latiuscula Greene 1902
Links to other floras: < Viola sororia - FNA6
Show parent genus | Show parent in key(s)
Wetland Indicator Status:
- Great Plains: FAC (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Midwest: FAC (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Northcentral & Northeast: FAC (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
Heliophily ⓘ: 6
Hover over a shape, letter, icon, or arrow on the map for definition or see the legend.
Feedback
Horticultural Information
No horticultural data found for this taxon.