Viola blanda Willd.

  • Authority

    Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

  • Family

    Violaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Viola blanda Willd.

  • Description

    Species Description - Acaulescent, with slender creeping rhizomes and later in the season with well developed leafy or naked stolons, glabrous to commonly with some short, stiff, white hairs on the upper surface of the basal lobes of the lvs; petioles and peduncles usually red-tinged; lvs broadly cordate-ovate to cordate-orbicular, dark green with a satiny sheen, acute or acutish, the basal sinus narrow (or the lobes overlapping), avg larger than in no. 14 [Viola macloskeyi F. E. Lloyd], the largest ones 2–4+ cm wide at anthesis; fls often fragrant, on peduncles shorter than or surpassing the lvs; pet white, the 3 lower with brown-purple veins near the base, all beardless or nearly so, the 2 upper usually linear-oblong and reflexed-twisted, the 2 lateral pointing forward, so that the fl does not look flat-faced; cleistogamous fls on prostrate peduncles, with purplish, ovoid frs 4–6 mm; seeds dark brown, acute at base; 2n=44. Cool ravines and moist, shady slopes in deep humus, usually under evergreens; s. Me. to N.J., O., and s. Ind., and in the mts. to N.C., Tenn., and n. Ga. Apr., May. (V. incognita)

  • Common Names

    sweet white violet