[The Genus Suksdorfia in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]

Violet Mock Brookfoam, Violet Suksdorfia

Suksdorfia violacea

A nice clump of violet suksdorfia blooming on a moist rock cut bank along the Klickitat Trail.........May 8, 2011 and at Memaloose, Columbia River Gorge........April 22, 2001.

The photo at right illustrates a stem leaf on violet suksdorfia........April 22, 2001.

Characteristics:

Violet Suksdorfia is a slender perennial wildflower with stems from 10-25 cm high arising from a cluster of basal leaves. The stems are glandular hairy. The orbicular to kidney-shaped basal leaves are 3-5 lobed and measure from 1-2.5 cm wide. The lobes are shallowly cleft with rounded divisions. The basal leaves are long petiolate while those of the stems are sessile with large, deeply toothed stiplules (See the large, rounded lobes of the stipules in the photo at right.).

Several flowers are found in an open inflorescence atop the stems. The calyx is long and tubular with the oblong to lanceolate lobes longer than the tube. The 5 petals are violet in color, spatulate in shape with a long, narrow base, and from 7-10 mm long.

Habitat:

Violet Suksdorfia may be found on mossy banks and cliffs, sandy shaded areas that are wet in the spring, and in rock crevices.

Range:

Violet Suksdorfia may be found from British Columbia south along the east side of the Cascades to the Columbia River Gorge, and east to northeastern Washington, northern Idaho, and northwestern Montana.

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Additional close-ups of the flowers of violet suksdorfia as seen along the Klickitat Trail.......May 8, 2011.

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Flower, basal leaf and sepals of violet suksdorfia, Memaloose, Columbia River Gorge.........April 19, 2007.

Paul Slichter