''Viola flettii'' is a species of violet known by the common name Olympic violet. Native to the northeastern and eastern

Olympic Mountains The Olympic Mountains are a mountain range on the Olympic Peninsula of the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are not especially high – Mount Olympus is the highest at ; however, the easte ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

in northwestern United States, it occurs on rocky outcrops and talus at subalpine and alpine elevations, i.e., from , and blooms from June through August. This

rhizomatous 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 ho ...

herb produces a hairless stem reaching a maximum height of a few centimeters to around 15 centimeters. The basal leaves have purple-veined green

reniform Reniform is an adjective meaning "kidney-shaped" and may specifically refer to: * Reniform leaf, a plant leaf shape * Reniform stigma, a spot on the wings of certain moths * Reniform habit, a type of crystal shape See also * Runiform (disamb ...

blades borne on petioles. Leaves on the flower stem are similar but smaller. A solitary flower is borne on a slender upright stem. It has five purplish-violet petals with yellowish bases, the lower three with purple veins. The lateral pair are bearded as is the stigma. The

spur A spur is a metal tool designed to be worn in pairs on the heels of riding boots for the purpose of directing a horse or other animal to move forward or laterally while riding. It is usually used to refine the riding aids (commands) and to ba ...

on the lowest petal is much shorter than the petal. The Olympic Mountains, part of the

Pacific Coast Ranges The Pacific Coast Ranges (officially gazetted as the Pacific Mountain System in the United States) are the series of mountain ranges that stretch along the West Coast of North America from Alaska south to Northern and Central Mexico. Although the ...

of western North America, was a refugium isolated by glacial ice and outwash channels during the last glacial period. ''Viola flettii'' is one of seven species of plants

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to the Olympic Mountains. Federally protected in

Olympic National Park Olympic National Park is a United States national park located in the State of Washington, on the Olympic Peninsula. The park has four regions: the Pacific coastline, alpine areas, the west-side temperate rainforest, and the forests of the drier ...

, it is a vulnerable species that appears on the ''Watch List of Vascular Plant Species'' of the Washington Natural Heritage Program. Just 36

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction usi ...

s of the species have been identified, of which 22 are within the park or near its boundary. The balance are protected in

Olympic National Forest Olympic National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in Washington, USA. With an area of , it nearly surrounds Olympic National Park and the Olympic Mountain range. Olympic National Forest contains parts of Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jeffer ...

. Many populations are small. In 2001, on Mount Townsend just 20 individuals were counted; on Mount Ellinor, only eight. Populations at higher elevations are less genetically diverse. Those on southern slopes are small. Potential threats include

herbivory A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example foliage or marine algae, for the main component of its diet. As a result of their plant diet, herbivorous animals typically have mouthpart ...

by ''Oreamnos americanus'' (

mountain goat The mountain goat (''Oreamnos americanus''), also known as the Rocky Mountain goat, is a hoofed mammal endemic to mountainous areas of western North America. A subalpine to alpine species, it is a sure-footed climber commonly seen on cliffs an ...

s) that were introduced into the Olympic Mountains in the late 1920s.

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q3560359 Flora of Washington (state) flettii