Images
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Morphology
- Stem
- Stemless.
- Leaves
- Arising from short, stout bases, stalks to 6 inches long; blades 1 to 3 inches long, 1 to 4 inches wide, glabrous or pubescent, shallowly to deeply palmately 3-lobed, each lobe sometimes cleft again, these subdivisions often divided once more into 2-4 segments; margins fringed with hairs.
- Inflorescence
- Solitary flowers, terminal, stalks 1 to several, smooth, usually rising above leaves.
- Flower
- Showy, violet; sepals 5, lanceolate; petals 5, 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, lower 3 petals with white bases, dark purple veins, densely bearded, lowest petal spurred; stamens 5, yellowish; inconspicuous, non-opening, self-pollinating flowers also occur on shorter flower stalks.
- Fruit
- Capsules, egg-shaped, smooth, yellowish; seeds many, tan.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Prairies and open woodlands.
- Distribution
- East 2/5 of Kansas.
Additional Notes
Comments
The epithet pedatifida is from Latin "foot" and "cleft", a reference to the appearance of the leaf. Viola species frequently hybridize, making identification difficult.
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Wildflower
- Family
- Violaceae - Violet Family
- Life Span
- Perennial
- Height
- 4-8 inches
- Last Updated
- 2007-10-09
Color Groups
Blue, Purple, Lavender & Violet Wildflowers
Flowering Period
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Blooms: April, May