These are usually easy to identify. However, some forms with white flowers (albinos) do exist, and some species fade towards the end of their flowering. A flower from this group can be identified by its large size and the lateral petals are almost always pubescent (except in V. selkirkii).

Next check the stem ... the plants in these groups are...

ACAULESCENT (without a stem)	CAULESCENT (with a stem)
Viola selkirkii Viola cucullata Viola x bissellii Viola sagittata var. ovata Viola sororia Viola novae-angliae Viola nephrophylla	Viola adunca Viola labradorica

Acaulescent violet/purple/blue violets:

1. Check the lateral and spur petals for hairs
   1. if there are no hairs, then check the length of the spur if the spur is long (4-6 mm long), or about as long as the blade of the spurred petal, then you probably have Viola selkirkii
      
      
   2. if there are hairs, go to (2)
      
      
2. Check the lateral petals for the types of hairs
   1. if there are short hairs dilated (swollen) at the apex then you probably have Viola cucullata see also V.x bissellii - hybrid with V. sororia)
      
      
   2. if there are long hairs that taper to the apex, go to (3)
      
      
3. Check the margins of the sepals
   1. if there are short hairs (ciliate)
      • the blade of the leaf is 1.5 - 3.0 times as long as wide;
        the base of the blade has coarse pointed teeth, then you probably have Viola sagittata var. ovata OR
        
        
      • the blade of the leaf is 1.0 or less times as long as wide;
        the base of the blade has small rounded teeth, then you probably have Viola sororia
        
        
   2. if there are no short hairs (eciliate)
      • the blade of the leaf is longer than wide, then you probably have Viola novae-angliae OR
        
        
      • the blade is as wide or wider than long, then you probably have Viola nephrophylla

Caulescent violet/purple/blue violets:

note: these two species are very similar to each other, all the characteristics indicated below should be examined before you decide on the species.

1. 1. the spur is 5 to 7 mm long, curved upwards at the end;
   2. leaves thick, commonly with sparse to dense pubescence,
      the hairs can be found on the upper and/or lower surfaces;
   3. the upper leaves are ovate to triangular-lanceolate and mostly truncate at the base, dark green, revolute (rolled backwards) on the margin;
   4. the petioles are distinctly winged;
   5. the style is slightly expanded near the apex,
      terminating in a stout,
      bent tip as long as the diameter of the style, then you probably have Viola adunca
      
      
2. 1. the spur is 2.5 to 5 mm long, not curved at the end;
   2. leaves thin, commonly glabrous, when pubescent,
      the hairs are restricted to the upper surface;
   3. the upper leaves are usually ovate to orbicular, with a cordate base,
      light green, flat on the margin;
   4. petioles are not distinctly winged;
   5. the style is nearly uniform in diameter throughout,
      terminating in a bent tip nearly twice as long as the diameter of the style, then you probably have Viola labradorica

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Viola selkirkii

Pursh ex Goldie (pronounced: VY-oh-lah sel-KIR-kee-eye) great-spurred violet
(named for Thomas Douglas, Earl of Selkirk, 1771-1820, by Frederick Pursh)

Rarity Ranking in NB: S4 (2007) - fairly common.

Habitat: This violet is found in cool, rich hardwood forests, usually in sheltered areas at the base of rocky calcareous slopes, moist ravines and outcrops in nutrient rich soil or rotting logs and stumps.

Flowering: early to mid-May (start of spring, before maple leaves emerge from winter buds). Usually the first acaulescent blue violet to bloom in the spring.

Notable features:

1. long spur, the longest of our violets, from which its name is derived;
2. leaf blade very small (the size of a canadian toonie at time of flowering), with converging or overlapping basal lobes, leaving a characteristic rounded notch at the base of the leaf; upper surface covered with abundant whitish strigose hairs (this feature changes with the age of the leaf); margins crenate, without hairs; petioles glabrous;
3. petals, all without hairs;
4. stipules connate to the petiole for a short distance (the only one of our violets with this feature);
5. flowers about 2 cm wide, pale violet, often white at the the centre; sepals eciliate, purple-tinged, usually pointed at the apex; flower peduncles glabrous, purple-tinged;
6. "style is upwardly dilated towards the apex, the stigma is shaped like a head (capitate), with a conical beak on the lower side" (Haines 2001). This is the only representative of the infrageneric group Adnatae (the others in this group belong to the infrageneric group Boreali-Americanae), the style is nearly straight.
7. rhizome thin, less than 3 mm thick.

	basal lobes (leaf) notice that the overlapping basal lobes create a distinct heart-shaped hole at the base of the leaf
	Style and Stigma

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Viola cucullata

Aiton (pronounced: VY-oh-lah kuk-yoo-LAY-tuh) marsh blue violet
(means hood-shaped, for the form of the emerging young leaves)

Rarity Ranking in NB: S5 - abundant. This is the official flower of New Brunswick.

Habitat: This violet is found in wet meadows, in open or forested wetlands where the soil is saturated but not inundated. It also frequents swamps dominated by Thuja occidentalis. It is also found along brooks, streams and wet seeps.

Flowering: mid to late May (mid to late spring, when maple leaves are expanding or have reached their full size )

Notable features:

1. the lateral petals (but not the spur petal) have short hairs (sometimes you will see the term bearded to describe the presence of hairs), each with a dilated, often knob-shaped, apex. This is the only member of the Boreali-Americanae infrageneric group (i.e., most of the acaulescent blue violets) with this type of hair. The others have long hairs, that taper to a point at the apex.
2. spurred petal glabrous;
3. leaf blade usually held at an angle to the petiole, commonly glabrous on both surfaces, rarely with a few scattered hairs on the basal lobes on the upper surface, sometimes with scattered reddish glands;
4. flowers on long peduncles usually taller than the leaves, light violet with a white center, usually with a purple border surrounding the white center. An all white flower is known as forma albiflora House. A white flower with blue splotches is known as forma thurstonii House.
5. sepal margins with no cilia (eciliate).

knob-shaped hairs on lateral petals

Viola cucullata

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Viola x bissellii

House (pronounced: VY-oh-lah ex bis-SEL-ee-eye) Bissell's violet
(named for Charles Humphrey Bissell, 1857-1925) This is the fertile hybrid between Viola cucullata and Viola sororia.

A hybrid with the same parents has been named Viola x melissifolia Greene (pronounced VY-oh-lah ex mel-his-SEE-pho-lee-ah) (having leaves like the honeybee, i.e. Melissa). One of the parents is Viola septentrionalis, which has recently been placed in synonymy with Viola sororia (see below). Hal Hinds (2000) recognized this situtation but kept the name of V. x melissifolia for the hybrid between V. cucullata x V. sororia.

Rarity Ranking in NB: hybrids do not usually receive a ranking. According to Hal Hinds (2000) "it occurs occasionally in the southern part of the province".

Habitat: This hybrid violet is found in habitats similar to its parents. i.e., in forested or open areas, and in riparian areas with moist to saturated soils.

Flowering: late May (late spring, when maple leaves are expanding).

Notable features:

1. lateral and spur petals with a mixture of long hairs, some with a knob-shaped apex, some with a pointed apex and some with a blunt apex;
2. leaves abundant and luxuriant; leaf blades with sparse pubescence on the upper surface;
3. flowers larger than those of the parents; corolla blue, similar to the parents, sometimes mostly "white with blue streaking or splotches on the proximal portion of the petal" (Haines 2001); peduncles taller than those of the parents (more than 20 cm) but not erect as in V. cucullata but reclining as in V. sororia.
4. sepals sometimes with a few hairs (cilia) on the margins, especially near the base.

Viola x bissellii (V. cucullata x V. sororia)

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Viola sagittata var. ovata

(Nuttall) Torrey & Gray (pronounced: VY-oh-lah saj-ih-TAY-tuh variety oh-VAY-tuh) arrowhead violet
(named for the ovate arrow head shape)

Rarity Ranking in NB: S1 - very rare; according to Hinds (2000) it has been found on Grand Manan Island, north of Fredericton and near Harvey.

Habitat: this violet is found on dry, well drained, open habitats, like sandy fields, abandoned gravel lots, railroad tracks, roadsides. Sometimes it is found under broken canopy in Pine-Oak woodlands.

Flowering: mid-May to early June (late spring, when maple leaves are expanding and have reached their full size)

Notable features:

1. sepals ciliate on the margin (this feature is used to separate this species from Viola novae-angliae)
2. leaf blades are densely short-pubescent, the pubescence is mostly stigose, occuring throughout or concentrated along the veins
3. leaf blades arrow-shaped, wide ovate to ovate-oblong, with coarse teeth near the base, the base is truncate.
4. leaves usually prostrate or are slightly ascending; the petioles are equal to or shorter than the blade
5. "style dilated toward the apex, capitate, with a conical beak on the lower side, the stigma (is) located within the tip of the beak " (Haines 2001) (Infrageneric group: Boreali-Americanae), the style is nearly straight.

leaf	style and stigma

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Viola sororia

Willdenow (pronounced: VY-oh-lah so-ROAR-ih-ah) Woolly blue violet (dooryard violet)
(means: sisterly, resembling); synonym: Viola septentrionalis Greene (pronounced: VY-oh-lah sep-ten-TREE-oh-nay-lis)

Note: Some authors still recognize V. septentrionalis as a distinct species. It was formerly separated from V. sororia on the basis of pubescense on the spurred petal (pubescent in V. septentrionalis; not pubescent in V. sororia).

Rarity Ranking in NB: S5 - abundant.

Habitat: in forests, along paths and old logging roads; in moist clearings, meadows and lawns; in riparian forests, along beaches and streams. It requires less humid sites and tolerates more sunlight than V. cucullata.

Flowering: May to mid-June (middle of spring, when maple leaves are expanding).

Notable features:

1. sepals ciliate (this feature distinguishes V. sororia from V. cucullata)
2. lateral and sometimes spurred petals pubescent with long pointed hairs
3. leaves pubescent on both surfaces and along the petiole; margin cilate
4. flowers violet-purple, rarely white in forma Beckwithae; usually mixed with the leaves on reclining peduncles; in profile, the flower is bent between the spur and the petal (this bend is not seen in V. cucullata)
5. "style dilated toward the apex, capitate, with a conical beak on the lower side, the stigma (is) located within the tip of the beak" (Haines 2001) (Infrageneric group: Boreali-Americanae), the style is slightly bent.

hairs on petals	profile of the flower	style
	Viola sororia

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Viola novae-angliae

House (pronounced: VY-oh-lah no-vee-ANG-lee-a) New England violet
(of or from New England - USA)

Rarity Ranking in NB: S2 - rare; occurs mostly along the Saint John River.

Habitat: xeric, calcareous rock outcrops and gravelly rocky shores above the normal high-water line.It is found exclusively in the spring scour zone of rivers.

Flowering: late-May to mid-June (late spring, when maple leaves have reached their full size).

Notable features:

1. lateral and spurred petals pubescent with long pointed hairs
2. sepals eciliate (this feature separates V. novae-angliae from V. sagittata var. ovata), sometimes the upper surface of the sepal has reddish glands
3. leaf blades are usually long triangular, longer than wide, cordate at the base, with minute pubescence along the veins on the lower surface, and glabrous above, sometimes the lower surface has reddish glands; the margins contain 6 - 12 large rounded teeth; petiole is usually sparsely pubescent
4. flowers light to dark purple, with a white center
5. "style dilated toward the apex, capitate, with a conical beak on the lower side, the stigma( is) located within the tip of the beak" (Haines 2001) (Infrageneric group: Boreali-Americanae), the style is slightly bent.

style and stigma

Viola novae-angliae

Viola novae-angliae

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Viola nephropylla

Greene (pronounced: VY-oh-lah neh-FRO-fil-uh) northern bog violet
(nephro - phylla means with kidney shaped leaves, which is not the case for this violet)

Rarity Ranking in NB: S3 - Uncommon

Habitat: in circumneutral fens and under sparse canopy of woodland fens; on gravelly calcareous or peaty shores of rivers and lakes; open prairies, sedge meadows, arborvitae swamps on calcareous soils; it it found exclusively on high pH and mesic to wet substrates.

Flowering: late-May through June (late spring, when maple leaves have reached their full size)

Notable features:

1. leaf blade nearly as wide or wider than long, firm to leathery, glabrous or rarely with fine hairs on the lobes of the upper surface, lower surface often tinged with purple (in the spring) or blue; margin crenate, with flattened teeth
2. sepals eciliate (this separates V. nephrophylla from V. sororia)
3. lateral and spurred petals (and sometimes the upper petals) with long, pointed hairs
4. flowers violet with a white center, color is usually intense without splotches; in profile shows a slight bent on the spur petal; on peduncles exceeding the leaves; a white form is forma albinea Farwell
5. "style dilated toward the apex, capitate, with a conical beak on the lower side, the stigma (is) located within the tip of the beak" (Haines 2001) (Infrageneric group: Boreali-Americanae), the style is slightly bent.

leaf	style and stigma

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Viola adunca

J. E. Smith (pronounced: VY-oh-lah AD-un-kuh) hook-spurred violet (early blue violet)
(means bent towards or inwards, i.e. hooked)

Rarity Ranking in NB: S3 - Uncommon.

Habitat: prefers xeric habitats with a sand substrate, in full sunlight or shaded, in pine forests, sandy clearings, sandy plains, dry pastures, shores and dunes; it is also found on rocky slopes and rock outcrops along rivers.

Flowering: May through mid-June (mid to late spring, when maple leaves are developping and when they have reached full size).

Notable features:

1. spur 5 - 7 mm long, curved upwards (i.e, hook-like) at the apex, from which its name is derived
2. leaf blades thick, leathery, rough to the touch, dark green, mostly truncate at the base; pubescence is variable, usually with strigose hairs on both surfaces (a glabrous form is usually found on exposed rocky outcrops along rivers); the margin is revolute (turned inwards); the petiole is distinctly winged
3. lateral petals (not spurred petal) pubescent with long, pointed hairs
4. flowers pale blue or deep violet, usually numerous on each plant; a white flower is known as forma albiflora Victorin & Rousseau
5. "style slender, slightly widened apically, not capitate, the tip bent and about as long as the diameter of the style " (Haines 2001) (Infrageneric group: Rostratae), short hairs are present near the tip of the style (there is evidence that the eastern population of V. adunca is diploid 2n = 20, and variations are found within this group for the presence of short hairs on the tip of the style); the style is nearly straight.

style and stigma

Viola adunca

Viola adunca

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Viola labradorica

Schrank (pronounced: VY-oh-lah lab-rah-DOOR-ih-kah) American dog violet (alpine violet)
(means: of or from Labrador, Canada) (synonym: Viola conspersa Reichenbach)

Many authors recognize Viola conspersa (among then is Hinds 2000) as a separate species based on certain morphological features such as stipule shape, prominence of stipule teeth and plant height. These features have been found to be continuous and to be modified by environment. Therefore, V. conspersa has been placed in synonymy (see Arthur Haines' website for a complete explanation).

Rarity Ranking in NB: S4S5 - fairly common to abundant

Habitat: found on mesic to sometimes saturated sites, in full sunlight or in shade; it is found in forest clearings and fields, along the margins of infrequently used roads, in borders of woods, in bottomlands, thickets, along brooks and streams, on the gravelly or sandy shores of rivers; it also occurs in alpine habitats.

Flowering: May through mid-June (mid to late spring, when maple leaves are developping and when they have reached full size).

Notable features:

1. spur is 2.5 - 5.0 mm long, shorter than and not curved upwards like V. adunca.
2. leaf blades thin, membranous, light green, mostly cordate at the base; usually glabrous, sometimes pubescent on the upper surface; the margin is flat; the petiole is not or barely winged
3. lateral petals (not spurred petal) pubescent with long, pointed hairs
4. flowers light blue or lilac, with darker veins
5. "style slender throughout, not capitate, the tip bent and nearly twice as long as the diameter of the style " (Haines 2001) (Infrageneric group: Rostratae), short hairs are present near the tip of the style; the style is nearly straight

leaf	style and stigma

Hybrids of Blue Violets

Except for V. x bissellii House (V. x melissifolia Greene) presented above, no other blue violet hybrids have been reported for New Brunswick.

Other recognized hybrids among species of the Infrageneric group: Boreali-Americanae are

• Viola x conjugens Greene (V. sagittata var. ovata x V. sororia)
  - found in Maine ( syn: V. x fernaldii House)
• Viola x incessa House (V. cucullata x V. nephrophylla)
• Viola x mckinneyi House (V. adunca x V. labradorica)
• Viola x napae House (V. nephrohylla x V. sororia)
• Viola x porteriana House (V. cucullata x V. sagittata var. ovata) - found in Maine

These hybrids exhibit features that are intermediate between the parents. In a population of violets, some individuals will show features that do not immediately place them in one group or another. Then you may suspect that you have a hybrid.

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