[The Violet Family in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington]

Early Blue Violet, Hookedspur Violet, Long-spurred Violet, Western Longspur Violet

Viola adunca

Synonyms: Viola adunca ssp. ashtonae, Viola adunca ssp. oxyceras, Viola adunca ssp. radicosa, Viola adunca ssp. typica, Viola adunca ssp. uncinulata, Viola adunca var. adunca, Viola adunca var. bellidifolia, Viola adunca var. cascadensis, Viola adunca var. oxyceras, Viola adunca var. uncinulata, Viola aduncoides, Viola bellidifolia, Viola cascadensis, Viola montanensis, Viola oxyceras, Viola subvestita

Long-spurred violet as seen from the Highline Trail on Mt. Adams...........July 11, 2005. Note the long spur at the back of the flower at right.

Close-up frontal view of the flower of Early Blue Violet, Hookedspur Violet, Long-spurred Violet, Western Longspur Violet: Viola adunca (Synonyms: Viola adunca ssp. ashtonae, Viola adunca ssp. oxyceras, Viola adunca ssp. radicosa, Viola adunca ssp. typica, Viola adunca ssp. uncinulata, Viola adunca var. adunca, Viola adunca var. bellidifolia, Viola adunca var. cascadensis, Viola adunca var. oxyceras, Viola adunca var. uncinulata, Viola aduncoides, Viola bellidifolia, Viola cascadensis, Viola montanensis, Viola oxyceras, Viola subvestita)

The photo at right shows a close-up of the flower of long-spurred violet as seen from the Highline Trail on Mt. Adams...........July 11, 2005. Notice the long white hairs at the lateral petals at the throat of the flower.

Characteristics:

Long-spurred violet is a perennial with short to long, slender rhizomes from which the stems arise. The stems are leafy, short at first, but elongating as the season progresses to 10 cm. The herbage may be smooth to densely short-hairy. The leaf blades are 1-3 cm long, usually ovate cordate in shape, but may also be ovate-lanceolate to kidney-shaped with the tip tapering to a rounded point. The leaf surface may be brown-dotted and the margins have rounded teeth or may be entire. The leaf petioles are often longer than the blades, and range from 5-8 cm long.

The flowers range from 5-15 mm long with a long spur, slightly hooked at the end, which is slightly more than half the length of the lower petal. The 5 petals are blue to deep violet in color, with the lower 3 having a white base with purple-violet pencil marks in the throat.

Habitat:

Long-spurred may be found in dry to moist meadows, open woods, and open ground from near sea level to near timberline.

Range:

Long-spurred violet is a widespread species, being found over much of western North America and extending eastward to the Atlantic coast.

In the Columbia River Gorge, it may be found between the elevations of 400'-4500' from the western mouth of the gorge east to near Mosier, OR.

Long-spurred violets blooming atop Dog Mountain, Columbia River Gorge............May 7, 2014.

Leaf of Early Blue Violet, Hookedspur Violet, Long-spurred Violet, Western Longspur Violet: Viola adunca (Synonyms: Viola adunca ssp. ashtonae, Viola adunca ssp. oxyceras, Viola adunca ssp. radicosa, Viola adunca ssp. typica, Viola adunca ssp. uncinulata, Viola adunca var. adunca, Viola adunca var. bellidifolia, Viola adunca var. cascadensis, Viola adunca var. oxyceras, Viola adunca var. uncinulata, Viola aduncoides, Viola bellidifolia, Viola cascadensis, Viola montanensis, Viola oxyceras, Viola subvestita)

The photo above shows a close-up of the leaf of long-spurred violet as seen at about 5300' along the Muddy Meadows Trail #13 on the northern slopes of Mt.Adams........July 11, 2005. Note the broad, rounded teeth along the leaf margin.

Paul Slichter