''Viola adunca'' is a species of violet known by the common names hookedspur violet, early blue violet, sand violet, and western dog violet. It is native to meadows and forests of western North America, Canada, and the northern contiguous United States.

Description

This is a hairy, compact plant growing from a small

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

system. The leaves are spade- or heart-shaped, sometimes with broadly wavy margins. They are generally 0.5 to 4 centimeters long. The single-flowered inflorescence grows at the end of a very thin

peduncle Peduncle may refer to: *Peduncle (botany), a stalk supporting an inflorescence, which is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed *Peduncle (anatomy), a stem, through which a mass of tissue is attached to a body **Peduncle (art ...

reaching about high. The nodding flower is a violet about long, with five purple petals. The lower three petals have white bases and purple veining. The two side petals are white-bearded near the throat. The upper two petals may have hooked spurs at their tips. It is a perennial blooming in late spring. There are several varieties of ''V. adunca''; a white-petaled form has been noted in Yosemite National Park. It has also been observed in Southern Ontario in

tall grass prairie The tallgrass prairie is an ecosystem native to central North America. Historically, natural and anthropogenic fire, as well as grazing by large mammals (primarily bison) provided periodic disturbances to these ecosystems, limiting the encroac ...

s on the sand plain and in

black oak savanna An oak savanna is a type of savanna—or lightly forested grassland—where oaks (''Quercus ''spp.) are the dominant trees. The terms "oakery" or "woodlands" are also used commonly, though the former is more prevalent when referencing the Mediter ...

Ecology

Viola adunca is the larval host plant of

Myrtle's silverspot Myrtle's silverspot (''Speyeria zerene myrtleae'') is a medium-sized butterfly in the brush foot family (Nymphalidae), an endangered subspecies of the zerene fritillary. It is endemic to California, where it is known from only about four location ...

. Bees and other insects pollinate it.

Polites mardon ''Polites mardon'', the Mardon skipper, is a butterfly native to the United States northwest coast. Description The Mardon skipper is a small butterfly, less than one inch (25 mm), that belongs to the family Hesperiidae. Its habitat extends ...

uses it as a nectar source, and birds and mice use the seed as a food source.

Conservation status in the United States

The species is listed as endangered in Massachusetts and in Connecticut.

Uses

The leaves and flowers are edible, and can be eaten in salads, as potherbs, or brewed as tea. These plant parts are high in vitamins A and C. However, the rhizomes, fruit, and seeds are poisonous to humans and can cause upset stomach, intestinal problems, respiratory and circulatory depression.

Native American ethnobotany

The

Blackfoot The Blackfoot Confederacy, ''Niitsitapi'' or ''Siksikaitsitapi'' (ᖹᐟᒧᐧᒣᑯ, meaning "the people" or " Blackfoot-speaking real people"), is a historic collective name for linguistically related groups that make up the Blackfoot or Bla ...

apply an infusion of the roots and leaves to sore and swollen joints, give an infusion of the leaves and roots to asthmatic children, and use the plant to dye their arrows blue. The Dakelh take a decoction of the entire plant for stomach pain, the Klallam apply a poultice of smashed flowers to the chest or side for pain,Gunther, Erna, 1973, Ethnobotany of Western Washington, Seattle. University of Washington Press. Revised edition, page 40 the Makah chew the roots and leaves while giving birth, and the Tolowa apply a poultice of chewed leaves to sore eyes.Baker, Marc A., 1981, The Ethnobotany of the Yurok, Tolowa and Karok Indians of Northwest California, Humboldt State University, M.A. Thesis, page 62

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q2705497 adunca Flora of California Flora of Michigan Flora of the United States Flora of Canada Plants used in traditional Native American medicine Edible plants