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Volume IV (1988) - Flora of New Zealand Naturalised Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, Dicotyledons
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Viola L.

VIOLA L.

Herbs; lvs in a basal rosette and/or alternate on stems. Fls solitary, on bibracteate axillary peduncles, zygomorphic, ⚥. Sepals with basal appendages. Petals unequal, the lower spurred. Stamens with apical appendages, the lower 2 spurred. Style straight or geniculate at base; stigma globose or beaked or capitate or 2-lobed. Capsule 3-valved, dehiscent.

Key

1
Fls borne in axils of rosette lvs; leafy flowering aerial stem 0, although stolons or rhizomes may be formed
2
Fls borne in axils of stem lvs; leafy flowering aerial stem present
4
2
Petiole hairs deflexed; lvs with > 15 crenations each side; fls sweetly scented; capsule hairy
3. *odorata
Petiole glabrous or with patent hairs; lvs with < 10 crenations or teeth each side; fls scentless or faintly scented; capsule glabrous
3
3
Plant stoloniferous; anterior petal shallowly saccate, spurless; lamina reniform, coarsely sinuate-dentate
2. *hederacea
Plant rhizomatous; anterior petal shortly spurred; lamina ovate to deltoid, shallowly crenate
7. cunninghamii
4
All stem lvs about as broad as long, cordate at base; stipules very small; stigma beaked or capitate
5
Upper stem lvs at least 2× as long as broad, cuneate at base; stipules of upper stem lvs 1/2-3/4 lf length; stigma globose
7
5
Stipules and bracts with gland-tipped teeth < 0.5 mm long
9 lyallii
Stipules and bracts long-fimbriate (rarely bracts entire); fimbriae c. 1 mm long, sometimes gland-tipped
6
6
Lvs with at least 10 fine close crenations on each side; sepal appendages > 1 mm long; seeds c. 2 mm long; lvs finely hairy near margin above
4. *riviniana
Lvs with 3-7 distant crenations or blunt teeth on each side; sepal appendages < 1 mm long; seeds c. 1.5 mm long; lvs glabrous
8. filicaulis
7
Upper petals < or = upper sepals, cream
1. *arvensis
Upper petals > upper sepals, usually violet, orange or yellow, rarely cream
8
8
Fls c. 2.5-4 cm diam.; rhizomatous perennial
6. * × wittrockiana
Fls 1.5-2.5 cm diam.; annual; rhizomes 0
5. *tricolor

500 spp., cosmopolitan but mostly N. temperate. Native spp. 3, naturalised 5 and 1 hybrid.

In many spp. small cleistogamous fls are sometimes produced, but the descriptions below refer to chasmogamous fls. Lvs and stipules of all spp. in N.Z. are illustrated in Fig. 122.

Fig. 122. Viola, lvs and stipules. A V. odorata; B V. arvensis; C V. tricolor; D V. lyallii; E V. cunninghamii; F V. × wittrockiana; G V. hederacea; H V. riviniana; I V. filicaulis. © All rights reserved. [Image: 4X42]
Fig. 122. Viola, lvs and stipules. A V. odorata; B V. arvensis; C V. tricolor; D V. lyallii; E V. cunninghamii; F V. × wittrockiana; G V. hederacea; H V. riviniana; I V. filicaulis. © All rights reserved. [Image: 4X42]
Fig. 123. Viola, stigma, style, and ovary. A V. tricolor, ligule present; B V. arvensis, ligule 0. © All rights reserved. [Image: 4X43]
Fig. 123. Viola, stigma, style, and ovary. A V. tricolor, ligule present; B V. arvensis, ligule 0. © All rights reserved. [Image: 4X43]
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