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Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.

For the most current and comprehensive body of information regarding violets in our region, visit the new website Violets (Violaceae) of the Great Plains and Eastern North America.

A tricky species to identify, its leaves are usually wider than long, quite pubescent on the underside, often purplish beneath as well; the upper surface is usually glabrous or nearly so. Read more at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.

The most similar species likely to be confused with this violet in our region is V. sororia sensu stricto with leaf blades about as broad as to broader than long, and which also has pubescent foliage, obtuse to rounded sepals, and a heavily spotted or blotched cleistogamous capsule on a prostrate peduncle. This species differs from V. sororia sensu stricto by the spreading and often longer hairs on the leaf blade margins, sepals ciliate (often with longer hairs) to the apex, prominent auricles elongating weakly in fruit, and brown seeds lacking spots or with small weak darker spots or streaks. Read more in Weakley's Flora (2025)

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SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Viola septentrionalis   FAMILY Violaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH A taxonomic treatment of the violets (Violaceae) of the northeastern US and adjacent Canada (Ballard, Kartesz, & Nishino, 2023)

Viola septentrionalis var. septentrionalis

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)

Viola septentrionalis var. septentrionalis

INCLUDED WITHIN Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)

Viola sororia

INCLUDED WITHIN Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 6 (2015)

Viola sororia

INCLUDED WITHIN Violaceae of the Southeastern US (McKinney & Russell, 2002)

Viola sororia var. sororia

INCLUDED WITHIN Manual of Vascular Plants of NE US & Adjacent Canada (Gleason & Cronquist,1991)

Viola sororia

INCLUDED WITHIN VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 130-02-003?:

Viola palmata var. sororia   FAMILY Violaceae

 

COMMON NAME:
Northern Wood Violet, Northern Blue Violet

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         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (2/10/25):
Viola septentrionalis var. septentrionalis   FAMILY Violaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Viola septentrionalis   FAMILY Violaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH A taxonomic treatment of the violets (Violaceae) of the northeastern US and adjacent Canada (Ballard, Kartesz, & Nishino, 2023)
Viola septentrionalis var. septentrionalis

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Viola septentrionalis var. septentrionalis

INCLUDED WITHIN Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Viola sororia

INCLUDED WITHIN Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 6
Viola sororia

INCLUDED WITHIN Violaceae of the Southeastern US (McKinney & Russell, 2002)
Viola sororia var. sororia

INCLUDED WITHIN Manual of Vascular Plants of NE US & Adjacent Canada (Gleason & Cronquist,1991)
Viola sororia

INCLUDED WITHIN VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 130-02-003?:
Viola palmata var. sororia   FAMILY Violaceae