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Published In: Hortus Kewensis; or, a catalogue . . . 3: 290. 1789. (Hort. Kew.) Name publication detailView in BotanicusView in Biodiversity Heritage Library
 

Project Name Data (Last Modified On 9/22/2017)
Acceptance : Accepted
Project Data     (Last Modified On 7/9/2009)
Status: Native

 

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15. Viola striata Aiton (pale violet, cream violet)

Pl. 576 a–c; Map 2706

Plants perennial, with a slender to stout, prostrate to ascending rhizome 2–4 mm thick. Stems 10–40 cm long, erect or ascending, sometimes from a spreading base. Leaves alternate (some nodes sometimes appearing subopposite) and also basal at flowering, mostly long-petiolate, the petiole glabrous. Stipules relatively large and conspicuous, herbaceous, free from the petiole, the margins with a fringe of relatively slender, deep teeth or lobes. Leaf blades 1.0–5.5 cm long, unlobed, ovate to heart-shaped, narrowly angled or tapered at the tip, truncate to cordate at the base, the margins evenly scalloped or bluntly toothed, the surfaces glabrous or sparsely hairy on the upper surface. Cleistogamous flowers produced. Flower stalks not or only slightly overtopping the leaves (those of the cleistogamous flowers erect or ascending). Sepals 7–12 mm long, lanceolate, narrowly angled to a sharply pointed tip, the margins sometimes minutely hairy (especially on cleistogamous flowers), the basal auricles well-developed. Corollas 8–13 mm long (except in cleistogamous flowers), the petals oriented forward with arched or outward-curved apical portions, longer than the sepals, white to pale cream-colored, the lower petal usually with dark purple to brownish purple veins, the lateral petals bearded on the upper surface with slender hairs, the lowermost petal glabrous on the upper surface, the spur well-exserted beyond the sepal auricles, relatively stout. Stamens not exserted, typically not visible without dissection of the flower. Style slender, bent at the tip. Fruits 3–9 mm long, broadly ellipsoid to ellipsoid, green, drying to tan to olive-colored, the surface glabrous. Seeds 1.8–2.0 mm long, tan. 2n=20. April–June.

Scattered to common in the Ozark, Ozark Border, and Mississippi Lowlands Divisions, uncommon or absent elsewhere in the state (eastern U.S. west to Iowa and Oklahoma; Canada). Bottomland forests, mesic upland forests, banks of streams and rivers, fens, bases and ledges of bluffs, and margins of upland prairies, glades, and savannas; also fencerows and roadsides.

This species is analogous to V. bicolor, which frequents similar sites, in being particularly abundant in somewhat disturbed sites, such as along woodland paths and frequently flooded riparian areas. It is a decided calciphile, often abundant in moist to wet silty loam soils. It is distinctive among stemmed Missouri violets in its white corolla, and, even when vegetative, can be distinguished by its lacerate stipules. Steyermark (1963) noted that it grows well in woodland gardens.

Recent genetic studies have shown that although V. striata has a mixed mating system (outcrossing open flowers followed by obligately selfing cleistogamous flowers), most of the mature fruits produced (in an Ohio population) during a given year originated from self-pollination (Cortés-Palomec et al., 2006). This type of reproductive system has been speculated to result in the maintenance of high genetic variation between populations and the retention of morphological variants within the populations in which they have developed.

Steyermark (1963) noted the existence of a 1936 specimen in the herbarium of William Jewell College that represents a potential Missouri record of V. canadensis L. (tall white violet). This taxon would key imperfectly above to either V. pubescens or V. striata. It differs from both in its petals, which are white on the upper surface, but are strongly purplish-tinged on the undersurface. Its stipules are similar to those of V. pubescens, and its flowers tend to have relatively long, slender stalks and relatively small corollas. Steyermark doubted that the specimen was correctly labeled as having been collected in Clinton County and noted that repeated searches for the species in the vicinity of the locality indicated on the Missouri label had not resulted in the rediscovery of the species in the state. The specimen in question, which appears to represent a student collection, is correctly determined, but probably mislabeled, and the species thus continues to be excluded from the Missouri flora. However, V. canadensis has been documented from portions of several states surrounding Missouri and may eventually be located growing in the state.

 


 

 
 
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