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Viola ×melissifolia
Viola ×melissifolia Greene
Prince Edward Island Hybrid Violet
Violaceae (Violet family)
Synonym(s): Viola ×montivaga
USDA Symbol: VIME2
USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)
"Rootstock stoutish, branching, knotted, but white, the roots very fine-fibrous and white: loosely clustered leaves and flowers 5 to 10 inches high ; herbage rather pale, very thin and delicate, but peduncles and petioles, though soft and weak, not slender, very sparsely and obscurely hirtellous hairy; leaf-blades small for a plant so tall, the largest not 2 inches long, many not more than 1 inch, round-cordate to cordate-ovate, the youngest cucullate, all very regularly though rather coarsely crenate all around, even into the basal sinus and to the insertion on the petiole, both faces, but especially the upper, finely appressed pubescent, though sparsely so, the whole margin ciliolate: flowers large, nearly an inch in diameter, skyblue; 2 lower sepals lanceolate, the others oblong-lanceolate, all obtusish, ciliolate; petals with broad rounded limb, the keel shorter, laterals with a tuft of villous hairs, all with deep-purple veins." (Reslit: 2871).
Hybrid progeny of Viola septentrionalis and V. sororia. (Webref: 27).
From the Image Gallery
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Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Herb
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: "...5 to 10 inches high." (Reslit: 2871).
Leaf: "...herbage rather pale, very thin and delicate, but peduncles and petioles, though soft and weak, not slender, very sparsely and obscurely hirtellous hairy; leaf-blades small for a plant so tall, the largest not 2 inches long, many not more than 1 inch, round-cordate to cordate-ovate, the youngest cucullate, all very regularly though rather coarsely crenate all around, even into the basal sinus and to the insertion on the petiole, both faces, but especially the upper, finely appressed pubescent, though sparsely so, the whole margin ciliolate..." (Reslit: 2871).
Flower: "...flowers large, nearly an inch in diameter, skyblue; 2 lower sepals lanceolate, the others oblong-lanceolate, all obtusish, ciliolate; petals with broad rounded limb, the keel shorter, laterals with a tuft of villous hairs, all with deep-purple veins." (Reslit: 2871).
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: BlueBloom Time: Jan , Feb , Mar , Apr , May , Dec
Bloom Notes: "Skyblue." (Reslit: 2871).
Distribution
USA: NY , VTCanada: NB , NL , PE
National Wetland Indicator Status
Region: | AGCP | AK | AW | CB | EMP | GP | HI | MW | NCNE | WMVE |
Status: | FAC |
Web Reference
Webref 6 - Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database] (2018) USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program, National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.Webref 27 - USDA Plants Database (2018) USDA, NRCS.
Additional resources
USDA: Find Viola ×melissifolia in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Viola ×melissifolia in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Viola ×melissifolia
Metadata
Record Modified: 2020-12-07Research By: Joseph A. Marcus