''Viola appalachiensis'', the Appalachian blue violet, also known as Appalachian violet and Henry's violet is a ''

Viola The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...

'' native to the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...

in the

Eastern United States The Eastern United States, commonly referred to as the American East, Eastern America, or simply the East, is the region of the United States to the east of the Mississippi River. In some cases the term may refer to a smaller area or the East C ...

Distribution

The native ''Viola appalachiensis''

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

s includes rich moist woods, mountain coves, stream banks, sometimes in mowed areas such as forest roads. Its

range Range may refer to: Geography * Range (geographic), a chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra) ** Mountain range, a group of mountains bordered by lowlands * Range, a term used to i ...

is from

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

in the Appalachian Mountains. It is very rare. Some authors consider this to be the same species as '' V. walteri,'' but others argue for its recognition as a distinct species.Harvey E. Ballard, Jr. & Daniel E. Wujek 1994. Evidence for the Recognition of ''Viola appalachiensis''. Systematic Botany 19:523-538
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Description

This is a herbaceous

plant Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclud ...

, it is a perennial and is an evergreen which can reach 10 cm in height (4 inches). New stems ascending at first, soon become prostrate, mat forming, rooting from the nodes, mostly hairless. The

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

are alternate. Sometimes appearing to be stemless. Each leaf is kidney-shaped, very slightly toothed or crenate and with a few hairs near the margin. Stipules lacerate. The

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s are irregular in shape. They are blue with white center. Blooms first appear in mid spring and continue into late spring. Spur much longer than wide. Lateral petals bearded.

References

External links

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{{Taxonbar, from=Q7933054 appalachiensis Flora of the Appalachian Mountains Flora of Pennsylvania Plants described in 1953 Flora of West Virginia Flora of Maryland Flora of North Carolina