Family: Violaceae
Viola
Citation:
L., Sp.Pl. 933 (1753).
Derivation: Latin viola, the violet.
Synonymy: Not Applicable Common name: Violets.
Description:
Annual, biennial or perennial herbs; glabrous or pubescent; often stoloniferous; leaves alternate, cauline or more or less rosulate, petiolate; lamina suborbicular to lanceolate, serrate, crenate or subentire, the teeth glandular; stipules free or more or less adnate to the petiole, persistent.
Flowers solitary on slender axillary peduncles, peduncles with a pair of bracteoles; sepals entire or denticulate-fimbriate, produced into a basal flattened appendage; anterior petal spurred or saccate; lateral petals often bearded inside; staminal filaments short or absent; anterior 2 anthers with basal appendages; ovary glabrous or pubescent; style usually geniculate, sometimes straight; stigma clavate, lobed or truncate.
Fruit a globose to more or less cylindrical capsule, glabrous or pubescent; valves 3, boat-shaped; seeds 2-many, smooth or rugulose, sometimes with a single ridge.
Distribution:
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Approximately 450 species, chiefly in temperate regions of the world. In the Flora of Australia Adams recognised 8 species of which 3 are endemic and 3 introduced.
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Biology:
No text
Taxonomic notes:
2 sections, Viola and Erpetion, are represented in S.Aust. In both the stipules are small, entire or fimbriate, brownish-translucent, rarely green, never leaf-like. The anterior petal is narrow, ovate to linear-oblong. In section Viola the anterior petal is spurred. In section Erpetion the anterior petal is shallowly saccate but not spurred.
Key to Species:
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1. Stolons absent; leaves lanceolate or oblong |
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V. betonicifolia 1. |
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1. Stolons present; leaves reniform, ovate, ovate-rhomboid, not lanceolate or oblong |
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2. Leaves deeply caudate at the base, lamina 2-5 cm long; anterior petal prominently spurred; style hooked at the tip |
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V. odorata 2. |
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2. Leaves not deeply caudate at the base, lamina 0.5-2 cm long; anterior petal weakly pouched, not spurred; style straight at the tip |
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3. Leaves reniform to suborbicular, often broader than long; petals violet and white |
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V. hederacea 4. |
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3. Leaves ovate to ovate-rhomboid, as wide as long or longer; petals concolorous, blue-violet or cream |
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4. Peduncles exceeding the leaves; petals a pale to dark blue-violet, twice the length of the sepals |
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V. sieberiana 5. |
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4. Peduncles as long as or scarcely exceeding the leaves; petals cream-coloured, scarcely exceeding the sepals |
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V. cleistogamoides 3. |
Author:
Not yet available
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