I'm a newbie on violets, so please forgive if I haven't given the right info.
I've got a really neat violet under my oak tree and I can't match it up exactly with any of the things on the AVS site or the wildflower books that I have. In flower character, it's closest to V. cucullata, with beard on only the lateral petals, but there is very strong veining leading to a white 'heart'. The leaves, however, are very triangular, almost twice as long as broad, with a relatively narrow sinus at the base. No hairs that I can see on the leaves or stems, and the flower spur doesn't extend beyond the curve of the stem. Flower color is variable according to temperature - lighter overall in sun or warmer weather - but we're talking reddish-violet on the petal tips, lightening and becoming more blue toward the center. Deep red-violet veining over blue-lavender inner petals creates an impression of an almost electric-blue halo surrounding the white center. In my garden, it maxes out at about 4 inches high, blooms slightly above foliage, and seeds itself enthusiastically and (I think) identically.
If I were farther west, I'd guess V. missouriensis, but in VA, and a local plant as far as I know, ????? Its (violet) neighbors include seedlings of Rosina, V. blanda, V. canadensis(?), V. sororia in variety. Growing environment is dry shady clay, except when it pours rain and makes puddles for a few hours.
Reason I asked about hybrids is that I'm used to asters, which hybridize if you look at them cross-eyed.
Hope someone can give me a clue or two -
Robin |
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