''Suksdorfia violacea'' is an uncommon species of herbaceous flowering plant in the
saxifrage family known by the common name violet suksdorfia. In 1879
Asa Gray
Asa Gray (November 18, 1810 – January 30, 1888) is considered the most important American botanist of the 19th century. His ''Darwiniana'' was considered an important explanation of how religion and science were not necessarily mutually excl ...
named the genus ''
Suksdorfia'' after
Wilhelm Nikolaus Suksdorf who had first collected a specimen of ''S. violacea'' in 1878 near
Mount Adams-
White Salmon, Washington and sent it to Gray for assistance in classifying it. Gray and Suksdorf had a long and close working relationship, and Gray initially identified and named various species found by Suksdorf. Its conservation status has been rated by NatureServe as "G4 – Apparently Secure".
Taxonomy
''Suksdorfia violacea'' is the
type species for this genus and Gray named it after Suksdorf. The genus name ''Hemieva'' Raf. was published earlier than ''Suksdorfia'', but was less well known, and ''Suksdorfia'' is now a
conserved name
A conserved name or ''nomen conservandum'' (plural ''nomina conservanda'', abbreviated as ''nom. cons.'') is a scientific name that has specific nomenclatural protection. That is, the name is retained, even though it violates one or more rules whic ...
. Therefore, ''Hemieva violacea'', although correct when it was published in 1896 is no longer the correct name for this species.
Ecology
''Suksdorfia violacea'' is found in Washington, British Columbia, Oregon, Alberta, Montana, and Idaho. It is most common in Washington and southeast British Columbia. It prefers moist areas with rocks, crevices, ledges, and fences. It is a perennial that grows from rhizomes. It has
petiolate
Petiole may refer to:
*Petiole (botany), the stalk of a leaf, attaching the blade to the stem
*Petiole (insect anatomy)
In entomology, petiole is the technical term for the narrow waist of some hymenopteran insects, especially ants, bees, a ...
rounded leaves that are wide. The
calyx
Calyx or calyce (plural "calyces"), from the Latin ''calix'' which itself comes from the Ancient Greek ''κάλυξ'' (''kálux'') meaning "husk" or "pod", may refer to:
Biology
* Calyx (anatomy), collective name for several cup-like structures ...
is a slender bell shape. The flower is a five-lobed, violet-colored, slender, tapered, and with 5
stamens. The fruits are long and have brown seeds. The plants usually grow to a height of in small groups at lower elevations.
References
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External links
{{Taxonbar, from=Q17781624
Saxifragaceae
Flora of the Northwestern United States
Flora of British Columbia
Flora without expected TNC conservation status