Viola sagittata, commonly called the arrowleaf violet,[1] is a species of flowering plant in the violet family (Violaceae). It is native to the eastern North America in Canada and the United States, where it is widespread.[2] It is found in a variety of natural habitats, but is most common in dry, open communities such as prairies, glades, or woodlands, often in sandy or rocky soil.[3][4]

Viola sagittata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Violaceae
Genus: Viola
Species:
V. sagittata
Binomial name
Viola sagittata

Viola sagittata is an stemless perennial. It can be distinguished from other Viola in its area by its leaves that are much longer than wide, with truncate to subcordate bases.[5] It produces purple flowers in the spring.[3]

Taxonomy

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Two varieties are currently recognized.[4][6] They are quite distinct, which has led some taxonomists to consider them to be distinct species.[7] The varieties are:

  • V. sagittata var. ovata - Found primarily in the Appalachian Mountains and Great Lakes area.
  • V. sagittata var. sagittata - Widespread across eastern North America.

References

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  1. ^ NRCS. "Viola sagittata". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  2. ^ "Viola sagittata". County-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
  3. ^ a b Hilty, John (2020). "Arrow-Leaved Violet (Viola sagittata)". Illinois Wildflowers.
  4. ^ a b Ballard Jr., Harvey E. "Viola sagittata". In Yatskievych, George (ed.). Flora of Missouri. Missouri Botanical Garden – via Tropicos.org.
  5. ^ Weakley, Alan (2015). "Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States".
  6. ^ Little, R. John; McKinney, Landon E. (2015). "Viola sagittata". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 6. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  7. ^ Reznicek, A. A.; Voss, E. G.; Walters, B. S., eds. (February 2011). "Viola sagittata". Michigan Flora Online. University of Michigan Herbarium.