Canary Violet, Upland Yellow Violet, Wavyleaf Violet
Viola praemorsa ssp. linguifolia
Synonyms: Viola flavovirens, Viola linguifolia, Viola nuttallii var. linguifolia, Viola nuttallii var. major , Viola praemorsa ssp. arida, Viola praemorsa ssp. flavovirens, Viola praemorsa ssp. major, Viola praemorsa ssp. oregona, Viola praemorsa var. altior, Viola praemorsa var. linguifolia, Viola vallicola var. major
The photo above shows an example of canary violet as seen on forested slopes along Oregon Highway 19 south of Fossil, OR.........April 8, 2007.
The photo at right shows a close-up of the flower of canary violet as seen on forested slopes along Oregon Highway 19 south of Fossil, OR.........April 8, 2007. Note the rusty color on the backs of the upper pair of petals.
Characteristics:
Yellow prairie violet is an attractive dryland
violet with clumps of green leaves and several bright yellow flowers found on
stems (to 15 cm high) that are about equal in height to the leaves. The leaf
blades range from smooth to copiously covered with minute hairs, the blades
narrowly elliptic lanceolate to ovate or lanceolate, depending on the variety.
The margins are entire or wavy-margined, or occasionally lightly toothed. The
blades range from 2-10 cm in length, while the long thin petioles range from
3-15 cm long.
The flowers are bright yellow, from 5-15 mm long
with a short spur. The upper 2 petals may be clear yellow on the back (as in
variety bakeri) or may have brownish backs (as in the other varieties).
The lower 3 petals are penciled with brownish-purple lines in the throat.
This species has been split into the following new species:
Yellow Prairie Violet, Baker's Violet: Viola bakeri (formerly Viola nuttallii var. bakeri) - Upper petals not rusty brown-colored on their backs. Flowers 5-12 mm long. Leaf blades 2-5 cm long. Capsules glabrous. Generally limited to the Cascade Mts from Mt. Adams south to California.
Upland Yellow Violet, Wavyleaf Violet: Viola praemorsa ssp. linguifolia (formerly Viola nuttalli var. major) - Backs of upper petals generally rusty brown in color. Flowers 8-15 mm long. Leaf blades 5-10 cm long, glabrous to moderately hairy, and not noticeably fleshy. Blades elliptical in outline. Capsules mostly hairy. Generally found east of the Cascade Mts., extending westward into the Siskiyou Mts. in southwest Oregon.
Upland Yellow Violet, Canary Violet: Viola praemorsa ssp. praemorsa (formerly Viola nuttallii var. praemorsa) - Backs of upper petals generally rusty brown in color. Flowers 8-15 mm long. Leaf blades 5-10 cm long, generally strongly hairy, and thick and fleshy. Blades ovate-lanceolate in shape, the base not truncate or subcordate. Capsules mostly hairy. More frequently found west of the Cascades, but occasionally found east of the Cascades.
Valley Yellow Violet: Viola vallicola (formerly Viola nuttallii var. vallicola) - Backs of upper petals generally rusty brown in color. Flowers 8-15 mm long. Leaf blades less than 5 cm long, glabrous to sparsely haired, ovate to ovate-lanceolate in outline with truncate or subcordate base. Capsules glabrous. Generally found east of the Cascade Mts.
Habitat:
Yellow prairie violet may be found in open grasslands, among
sagebrush, or in open ponderosa pine or oak forests.
The photo above shows an example of a leaf of canary violet as seen on forested slopes along Oregon Highway 19 south of Fossil, OR.........April 8, 2007. Note the abundant tiny hairs on the leaf surface and edge as well as the base of the leaf which tapers to the broad petiole. The leaf blade is not as thick and fleshy as that of subspecies praemorsa.
Range:
Yellow prairie violet is found east of the coastal
mountains from British Columbia south to California and east to the central
United States.
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Yellow prairie violet as seen (left) at Ochoco Forest Camp, Ochoco National Forest.........April 29, 2016.Yellow prairie violet
as seen (right) in ponderosa pine forest at the western edge of scablands near the junction of FS Roads #42 and #300, Ochoco National Forest and adjacent BLM lands..........April 30, 2016.
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The photo at left shows upland yellow violet as seen along Road #4670 at Billy Meadows Guard Station in the northern Wallowa-Whitman N.F.........June 26, 2008. The photo at right shows upland yellow violet as seen on Lookout Mountain, Ochoco National Forest.........May 29, 2016.
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Close-up images of upland yellow violet as seen on a ridge just north of Jackman Park Campground, Steens Mountain, southeastern Oregon.........June 2, 2012.
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These 4 photos show close-up views of the flowers and leaves of upland yellow violet as seen along Road #4670 at Billy Meadows Guard Station in the northern Wallowa-Whitman N.F.........June 26, 2008.
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The photo at left shows an example of canary violet as seen on forested slopes along Oregon Highway 19 south of Fossil, OR..........April 8, 2007. The photo at right shows an example of canary violet as seen in open forest along Forest Road 4215 about 1.5 miles south of the junction with Forest Road 42, Ochoco Natioal Forest..........May 9, 2017.
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Additional photos of upland yellow violet as seen along Oregon Highway 218 about one mile south of Shaniko, OR.........May 14, 2010.
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Upland yellow violet as observed along Forest Road 16 along the crest of the Maury Mountains east of Klootchman Creek, Ochoco National Forest......April 27, 2018.
Upland yellow violet as observed (at upper left) on north-facing slopes below the lookout atop Bald Butte which is about 10 miles north of Gearhart Mt, Fremont-Winema National Forest......June 19, 2020.
Two examples of goosefoot violet (Viola purpurea ssp. venosa) are at center and at lower right.
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Upland yellow violet as seen at left in moist prairie and scablands at the east end of Big Summit Prairie along Forest Road 30, Ochoco National Forest........May 19, 2017. Upland yellow violet as observed on scablands along Forest Road 4240 about a mile south of Lame Dog Creek, Ochoco National Forest.......April 26, 2018.
Paul Slichter