Viola primulifolia | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Malpighiales |
Family: | Violaceae |
Genus: | Viola |
Species: | V. primulifolia
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Binomial name | |
Viola primulifolia |
Viola primulifolia, commonly called the primrose-leaf violet, [1] is a species of flowering plant in the violet family. It is native to eastern North America, [2] and possibly also to the Pacific Northwest. [3] Its natural habitat is wet acidic areas that are usually at least semi-open. [4]
It is a low, stemless perennial that produces white flowers in the spring. [5] It can be distinguished from the similar-looking Viola lanceolata and Viola blanda by its leaves that are ovate, with rounded to truncate bases, and are 1.5-2 times as long as wide. [4]
While typical Viola primulifolia occurs in a large area of the east, a variety of this species is sometimes credited to occur in a small area of western California and Oregon, under the name of V. primulifolia var. occidentalis. [6] These populations, which are considered rare and highly localized, have alternatively been referred to as Viola lanceolata ssp. occidentalis. [7]