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Wood Violet, Early Blue Violet, Trilobed Violet - Viola palmata


Family: Violaceae – Violet family Genus Common Name: Violet Native Status: Native
Viola palmata - Wood Violet, Early Blue Violet, Trilobed Violet. There seems to be some disagreement as to whether Viola triloba is a separate species or included among varieties of Viola palmata. It seems generally accepted that what was for a time classified as Viola triloba var dilatata is within Viola palmata, and some authorities list Viola triloba var triloba as a synonym of V. palmata var triloba. An exception is the USDA Plants Database, which lists V. palmata as a hybrid of other Violet species.

The distinction (or maybe disagreement) is naturally enough around the form of the leaves, but at the sites with the most recent updates it seems the direction is to roll V. triloba into V. palmata, and I'm inclined to join that crowd. Since I have taken that position (open to discussion!) the states I have for this species is a combination of the distribution listed by the USDA for both Viola triloba and Viola palmata. The map shown to the right is that for V. triloba. The states I am including in my list for V. palmata are these: AL, AR, CT, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV

Journal Articles Referencing Violet

Leave comments on Viola palmata at this link.
Distribution of Viola palmata in the United States and Canada:
USDA Plants Distribution Map
Blue=Native; Grey=Introduced

Map from USDA Plants Database:
USDA, NRCS. 2009. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 18 May 2013). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

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Site: Big Frog Mountain, Polk County, TN Date: 2010-May-02Photographer: Gerald C. Williamson
Nikon D60
Wood Violet are naturally enough found in woodlands.
Viola palmata
Site: Walker County, GA Date: 2009-April-04Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D60
Viola palmata is one of the Viola species their namesake color, although they are variable, and can be striped or solid white.
Click on the photo for a larger image
Viola palmata
Site: Big Frog Mountain, Polk County, TN Date: 2010-May-02Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D60
Nikon Nikkor AF-S 55-200mm 4-5.6G ED
Wood Violet – some varieties – are also known as Trilobed Violet due to the lobed leaves.
Click on the photo for a larger image
Viola palmata

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All content except USDA Plants Database map Copyright Gerald C. Williamson 2013
Photographs Copyrighted by the named photographer