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Western Wetland Flora

Field Office Guide to Plant Species

Small White Violet
Viola macloskeyi Lloyd

JPG -- Species Photo JPG -- Distribution Map

Family: Violet (Violaceae)
Flowering: May-August
Field Marks: Three of the 5 white petals of this violet have purple veins. There are no upright leafy stems in this species, with all leaves arising directly from the rhizome.
Habitat: Wet meadows, along streams, bogs.
Habit: Perennial herb with creeping rhizomes and stolons.
Stems: Rhizomes below ground; horizontal stolons produced late in year; no upright leafy stems present.
Leaves: Simple, ovate to nearly round, rounded or more or less pointed at the tip, heart-shaped at the base, up to 1 1/2 inches long, smooth or sparsely hairy, on smooth or hairy stalks up to 4 inches long; stipules ovate, without teeth.
Flowers: Solitary on stalks arising directly from the rhizomes, on stalks up to 6 inches long, longer than the leaves.
Sepals: 5, green, free from each other, ovate to lanceolate, up to 1/6 inch long, smooth.
Petals: 5, free from each other, white, the lower 3 also with purple stripes, 1/4 to nearly 1/2 inch long; one of the petals spurred, the spur up to 1/8 inch long.
Stamens: 5.
Pistils: Ovary superior, smooth.
Fruits: Capsules ovoid, green, up to 1/4 inch long, smooth; seeds dark brown, about 1/24 inch in diameter.
Notes: The stolons are formed late in the year and often give rise to large mats of this species.

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URL: http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/plants/florawe/species/8/violmacl.htm
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Page Last Modified: Saturday, 02-Feb-2013 06:28:43 EST
Menlo Park, CA [caww54]