''Viola egglestonii'', commonly known as glade violet, is a species herbaceous plant in the
violet family. It is native to a small area of eastern North America, only being found in limestone
cedar glades
A calcareous glade is a type of ecological community (ecology), community that is found in the central Eastern United States. Calcareous glade (geography), glades occur where bedrock such as limestone occurs near or at the surface, and have very ...
of the
Interior Low Plateau
The Interior Low Plateaus are a physiographic region in eastern United States. It consists of a diverse landscape that extends from north Alabama across central Tennessee and Kentucky into southern Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Its natural communi ...
and
Ridge and Valley
The Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, also called the Ridge and Valley Province or the Valley and Ridge Appalachians, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division and are also a belt within the Appalachian Mountains extending ...
ecoregions of Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
''Viola egglestonii'' is a perennial, stemless blue violet, distinguished by its deeply lobed leaves, bearded petals, and glabrous leaves. Peak blooming occurs in early to mid April.
The cedar glade habitat which it is endemic to is generally rare, and populations of this species are tracked in all of the states it is found in except Tennessee. It is the most common in Tennessee's
Nashville Basin
The Nashville Basin, also known as the Central Basin, is a term often used to describe the area surrounding Murfreesboro, Tennessee, in which Nashville is located. The Central Basin was caused by an uplifting which produced a dome known as the N ...
due to the region's relative abundance of limestone cedar glades.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q16719137
egglestonii