Viola stoneana House

Locations ofViola stoneana House in Virginia

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Detail

Family
Violaceae
Botanical Name
Viola stoneana House
Common Name
Stone's Violet
Synonym(s)
Flora of Virginia Name/Status
Not in Flora of Virginia
Comments
Viola stoneana is a member of the Viola palmata complex and has been widely subsumed in a broad concept of the latter. The species is reported to range from se. New York and e. Pennsylvania to east-central North Carolina. Although it is very poorly known in Virginia, we follow Ballard et al. (2023, Jour. Torrey Bot. Soc. 150(1): 3-266) in recognizing V. stoneana as a separate species. It differs from V. palmata in pubescence characters and leaf morphology, as well as an apparently discrete distribution along the eastern Piedmont and an association with richer, often more mesophytic forests than similar species. Although vouchered records are few, additional iNaturalist reports verified by Ballard from Fairfax, Orange and Cumberland counties suggest that the species is more widespread. Additionally, Viola palmata var. palmata of the same region is similar, and herbarium specimens need re-evaluation.
Habitat
Ballard et al. (2023) describe the habitat as "moist loamy soils of rich mesic forest slopes and bases of slopes" along the Piedmont "Fall Line." Some of the Virginia specimens have been collected or reported on iNaturalist from more dry-mesic and only moderately base-rich soils, and from locations well away from the Fall Line. Obviously, further study of this elusive taxon is badly needed.
Native Status
Native

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