Viola sororia Willd.
Detail
- Family
- Violaceae
- Botanical Name
- Viola sororia Willd.
- Common Name
- Common Blue Violet
- Synonym(s)
- Viola papilionacea Pursh
- Flora of Virginia Name/Status
- Viola sororia Willd.
- Comments
- Viola sororia aparently hybridizes with several other species to produce a confusing array of morphologies. As used here, the name is restricted to homophyllus plants with moderately pubescent, wide leaves. In their recent monograph on violets of the northeastern U.S., Ballard et al. (2023; Jour. Torrey Bot. Soc. 150(1): 3-266) discuss several morphological "variants," but these have not been formally named and are not treated here. See also Comments under Viola communis and Viola septentrionalis.
- Habitat
- In an extremely wide range of forested to open, natural to ruderal habitats. Its natural habitats include swamp hummocks, floodplain forests, and varied mesic to dry upland forests. It can also be abundantly weedy in lawns, fields, pastures, and many other disturbed habitats. Apparently common throughout, but the status of this species needs re-assessment now that Viola communis Pollard has been split out of the former concept. Some of the records on the map likely represent V. communis, which also appears to be a very common species and occur in similar habitats as Viola sororia. Further study is warranted.
- Native Status
- Native
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