Viola pedata

Native

Dry. Woods, prairies. Full to partial sun.

April to June

Lilac purple

3″ to 6″

This is a 3″ to 6″ tall, erect, perennial forb that rises from an erect, tuberous caudex and fibrous roots.

The leaves are all basal, rising from the rootstock on hairless leaf stalks. Outer leaves are on stalks up to 1″ long, inner leaves on stalks up to 2″ long. Outer leaves are about ¾″ wide, ⅝″ long, and palmately divided into 3 deeply cut segments. The lateral segments are again divided into 3 to 5 narrowly inversely egg-shaped or inversely lance-shaped lobes. The lobes may have 2 to 4 deeply cut teeth near the tip. Inner leaves are about 1½″ wide, 1″ long, and palmately divided into 3 or 5 deeply cut segments. The segments may be again divided into 3 to 7 secondary lobes. The lobes are linear or inversely lance-shaped. Both types of leaves are hairless or nearly hairless. The margins have a fringe of minute, stiff, appressed hairs.

There is no central stem.

The inflorescence is a single flower at the end of a hairless, leafless, often purplish stalk. The stalk is at least as long as the leaf stalks and may be up to 4″ long.

The flowers are ¾″ to 1½″ wide. The 5 petals are usually lilac purple, though the upper 2 petals are sometimes dark violet. The 2 lateral petals do not have tufts of hairs near the throat. The lower petal fades to white with purple veins near the throat, and has a hooked, rounded spur at the base. The 5 stamens are orange, conspicuously protruding, and converging, but not fused, around the ovary. Self-polinating (cleistogamous) flowers are not produced.

The fruit is a ¼″ to ⅓″ long, hairless, yellowish-brown capsule.

This species is easily identified by the deeply lobed leaves, unbearded lateral petals, and conspicuous, protruding, orange stamens.