KEY TO STEMMED BLUE OR WHITE VIOLETS WITHOUT YELLOW AT THE CENTER OF THE FLOWER

1. Leaves reniform …………………………………………………………………….. 2

2. Leaves variegated, larger ………………………………………………………….V. walteri

2* Leaves not variegated, smaller mat forming ground cover plant ….. V. appalachiensis

1* Leaves cordate to wide-ovate ………………………………………………….. 3

3. Flowers cream-white ………………………………………………………………. V. striata

3* Flowers blue-mauve ………………………………………………………………. 4

4. Petal spur as long as or longer than flower ……………………………….5

 

4* Petal spur shorter than flower………………………………………………….. 5

5. Petal spur narrow, mm, darker than flower, style head papillose, leaf base truncate or very shallowly cordate

Plants growing in Northeast North America, Lower petal shorter than laterals

Lowest petal as wide as laterals, concave, leaves pubescent on upper surface, stipules fimbriate and ciliate, sepals and auricles ciliate,

Lowest petal twice as wide as laterals, heavily veined on lowest petal with light purple guidelines extending to margin of petal, flowers large, cm , stipule not ciliate?? auricles?

Plants growing in Northwest North America

Tip of leaves rounded, leaves ovate to wide ovate, leaf base truncate to shortly cordate, basal stipules adnate ……………………………………………………………………… V. adunca

Basal stipules not adnate

Stipules conspicuously fimbriate , leaf base cordate, tip of leaves pointed auricle truncate??………………………………………………………………………………….. V. adunca var. minor

Stipules with margins entire or slightly toothed , not ciliate, plants less than 6 cm high, stems not elongated, auricles toothed …………………………….. V. labradorica

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4* Petal spur shorter than flower………………………………………………….. 5

5. Petal spur narrow, mm, darker than flower, style head papillose, leaf base truncate or very shallowly cordate

Plants growing in Northeast North America, Lower petal shorter than laterals

Lowest petal as wide as laterals, concave, leaves pubescent on upper surface, stipules fimbriate and ciliate, sepals and auricles ciliate,

Lowest petal twice as wide as laterals, heavily veined on lowest petal with light purple guidelines extending to margin of petal, flowers large, cm , stipule not ciliate?? auricles?

Plants growing in Northwest North America

tip of leaves rounded, leaves ovate to wide ovate, leaf base truncate to shortly cordate, basal stipules adnate ……………………………………………………………………… V. adunca

Basal stipules not adnate

Stipules conspicuously fimbriate , leaf base cordate, tip of leaves pointed auricle truncate??………………………………………………………………………………….. V. adunca var. minor

Stipules with margins entire or slightly toothed , not ciliate, plants less than 6 cm high, stems not elongated, auricles toothed …………………………….. V. labradorica