Viola helenae

• Overview
• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Overview

Endangered

Common Names

Description

Family Violaceae

Herbs annual or perennial , shrubs , or subshrubs , sometimes scandent , rarely small trees . Leaves simple , usually alternate, sometimes opposite, with small or leaflike stipules, petiolate , margin entire, serrate, or dissected . Flowers bisexual or unisexual , rarely polygamous, actinomorphic or zygomorphic, solitary or in axillary or terminal , spicate , paniculate , or racemose inflorescences, 2-bracteolate, sometimes cleistogamous . Sepals 5, equal or unequal, imbricate, persistent . Petals 5, imbricate or convolute, unequal, anterior one usually larger than others, saccate , gibbous or spurred at base . Stamens 5; anthers erect , free or connivent or connate , connectives often dilated into membranous appendages ; filaments very short or absent, anterior 2 stamens with spurlike nectary at base. Ovary superior, 1-loculed, 3-5-carpelled, syncarpous , with 3-5 parietal placentae each with 1 to many anatropous ovules ; style simple; stigmas variously shaped. Fruit a loculicidal capsule, usually with elastic and abaxially carinate valves , rarely baccate . Seeds often carunculate; testa hard, nitid , often with oily bodies, sometimes alate ; endosperm copious , fleshy ; embryo erect.

Twenty-two genera and 900-1000 species: worldwide, but particularly in tropical regions ; three genera and 101 species (36 endemic, three introduced ) in China.[1]

Genus Viola

Herbs perennial or biennial, rarely subshrubs , rhizomatous . Stem developed or absent, sometimes with creeping branches. Leaves simple , alternate or basal, margin entire, dentate , or dissected ; stipules small or large, leaflike, free or ± adnate to petioles . Flowers bisexual , zygomorphic, solitary, often dimorphic (cleistogamous flowers later than chasmogamous ones) ; pedicels axillary , 2-bracteolate. Sepals slightly equal, usually basally auriculate . Petals unequal, anterior petal largest and basally spurred . Filaments free, very short; anthers free or mostly connivent into a sheath around ovary, 2 anterior ones with spurlike or wartlike and nectariferous appendages at base , these extending into anterior spur, connectives produced apically into conspicuous , membranous appendages. Ovary 3-carpelled, with many ovuled parietal placentae; styles nearly erect or usually ± curved downward, ± thickened or sometimes gradually tapering toward apex, entire or variously appendaged; style apex and stigma variously shaped. Capsule loculicidally and elastically 3-valved, valves carinate and abaxially thickened. Seeds globose-ovoid, arillate or not, usually smooth ; endosperm abundant; embryo straight; cotyledons rather thick, plano-convex .

About 550 species: cosmopolitan , chiefly in temperate regions of the N hemisphere; 96 species (35 endemic, three introduced ) in China.[2]

Physical Description

Landscaping

Care: Tolerates frost. Very vigorous. Deadheading will prolong bloom , but prevent volunteer seedlings. Pinch to keep bushy.

Biology

Reproduction

Duration: Perennial

Growth

Culture: Space 6" apart. Self-sows. Propagation : Start seeds indoors 10 to 12 weeks before the last spring frost. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil. After sowing, moisten the potting mix and place the seed tray in a cool place or refrigerator for 2 weeks, then move to a 65-70°F. area. Seedlings emerge in 2-3 weeks.

Soil: Requires well-drained soil. Prefers rich organic , moist, acidic soil, pH 5.6 to 6.5. Avoid wet, soggy/shady areas.

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Full sun or part sun.

Moisture: Water Requirements: Keep soil mixture moist until well established . Water daily during hot, dry summer.

Temperature: Minimum Temperature (F): 0°F. • Cold Hardiness: 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11. (map)

Taxonomy

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000

Place of publication : Occas. Pap. Bernice Pauahi Bishop Mus. 4:218. 1909

Name verified on 12-Jul-1994 by ARS Systematic Botanists. Last updated: 22-May-1997

Similar Species

Members of the genus Viola

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 3919 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

V. bakeri bakeri · V. aberrans · V. 'Abigail' · V. abortiva · V. abulensis · V. abundans · V. abyssinica · V. acanthophylla · V. acanthophylla var. tontalensis · V. acaulis · V. 'Accord Red Blotch' · V. accrescens · V. 'Achilles' · V. achlydophylla · V. achyrophora · V. acrocerauniensis · V. acuminata · V. acuminata var. austro-ussuriensis · V. acuminata var. brevistipulata · V. acuminata var. pilifera · V. acuta · V. acutifolia · V. acutilabella · V. 'Adam's Gold' · V. 'Adelina' · V. adenothrix · V. adenothrix var. tsugitakaensis · V. 'Admiral' · V. 'Admiral Avellan' · V. 'Admiration' (Pansy) · V. adriatica · V. adulterina · V. adunca (Western Dog Violet) · V. adunca Sm. var. adunca Sm. · V. adunca 'Alba' · V. adunca f. albiflora · V. adunca f. candida · V. adunca f. glabra · V. adunca f. masonii · V. adunca glabra · V. adunca Sm. var. kirkii Duran (Hookedspur Violet) · V. adunca oxyceras · V. adunca var. adunca (Hookedspur Violet) · V. adunca var. glabra · V. adunca var. kirkii (Kirk's Violet) · V. adunca var. longipes · V. adunca var. oxyceras (Hookedspur Violet) · V. aethnensis · V. aethnensis messanensis · V. aethnensis splendida · V. aetnensis · V. aetolica · V. affinis (Arizona Bog Violet) · V. affinis f. albiflora · V. affinis var. chalcosperma · V. affinis var. langloisii · V. affinis var. subarctica · V. agellae · V. 'Agnes Cochrane' · V. 'Agnes Susannah' · V. 'Agneta' · V. agrestis · V. aguilaris · V. aizoon · V. ajtayana · V. alabamensis · V. alachuana · V. alaica · V. alajensis · V. 'Alanta' · V. alata · V. alba (Parma Violet) · V. albanica · V. alba cretica · V. alba dehnhardtii · V. alba scotophylla · V. alba var. albiflora · V. alba var. lactea · V. alba var. picta · V. alba var. violacea · V. albertina · V. albida · V. albida f. takahashii · V. albida var. rugata · V. albiflora · V. 'Alcea' · V. 'Alethia' · V. 'Alexander Rayfield' · V. alexandrowiana · V. alexejana · V. 'Alexia' · V. 'Alex Blackwood' · V. algida · V. aliceae · V. 'Alice' · V. 'Alice Kate' · V. 'Alice Witter' (Violet) · V. 'Alice Woodall' · V. 'Alice Wood' · V. alichariensis

More Info

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Further Reading

• Kartesz, J. T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. (L US Can ed2)
• St. John, H. 1973. List and summary of the flowering plants in the Hawaiian islands. (L Hawaii) [= Viola helena].
• United States Fish and Wildlife Service. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Species Information: threatened and endangered animals and plants - on-line resource. (US Fish & Wildl List)
• Wagner, W. L. et al. 1990. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawai'i. (F Hawaii)
• Wagner, W. L. et al. 1999. Hawaiian vascular plants at risk:1999. Bishop Mus. Occas. Pap. 60:52.
• Wang Chingrui. 1991. Violaceae. Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 51: i-v, 1-148.

Notes

Contributors

• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2006. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Accessed April 19, 2007.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed February 28, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from provider.
• USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL (May 01, 2008)
• USDA, NRCS. 2005. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 28, 2008:

• USDA PLANTS: USDA PLANTS Database

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2669765
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-505713
• GRIN Nomen Number: 320344
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 505713
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Species Identifier: Q23T
• U.S.D.A. Plant Symbol: VIHE2
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 66258

Footnotes

1. Yousheng Chen, Qiner Yang, Hideaki Ohba & Vladimir V. Nikitin "Violaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 13 Page 72, 138. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
2. "Viola". in Flora of China Vol. 13 Page 72, 74. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]

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