Viola stipularis explained

Viola stipularis, is a species of violet that grows in southern Central America, some Caribbean islands and northern South America; from Costa Rica and Guadeloupe south to Peru.[1]

Description

Herb 20–30 cm tall, spreading by creeping rhizomes.[2] [3] [4] Petioles up to 8 mm long, surrounded by fringed triangular stipules up to 2 cm long. Leaves elliptic to lanceolate-elliptic, up to 9.5 cm long and 3.4 cm wide, margin serrate or crenate, sometimes dentate, apex acuminate, base cuneate. Flowers with thin pedicels up to 6 cm long, petals pinkish, lavender or bluish-white, blue-veined; lower petal obovate, the upper ones oblong-ovate or oblong-elliptic; up to 9 mm long and 4.5 mm wide; all petals with rounded apex; spur ca 1 mm long; anthers and ovary about almost 2 cm long. Fruit, an ellipsoid capsule 6–7 mm long containing seeds ca 1 mm long.

Distribution and habitat

Costa Rica, Panama, Lesser Antilles and northern South America south to Peru, in forested hills and montane forests between (150-) 840–3400 m.

Ecology

V. stipularis can be found in open areas or near summits. It is a colonizer of disturbed habitats such as volcanic debris, and natural or human-caused landslides.[5] [6]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Tropicos Name - !Viola stipularis Sw.. www.tropicos.org. 2016-01-17.
  2. Nicolson. D.H.. DeFilipps. R.. Nicolson. A.. etal. 1991. Flora of Dominica, Part 2: Dicotyledoneae. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany. en. 77. 228. 0081-024X.
  3. Francis. Macbride, J.. 1941. Flora of Peru /. Fieldiana. en. 13:pt.4:no.1 (1941) [Elatinaceae]. 79.
  4. Woodson Jr.. R.. Schery. R. W.. etal. 1967. Flora of Panama. Part VI.. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. en. Missouri Botanical Garden. 54. 1. 82. 10.2307/2394885. 2394885.
  5. Howard. R. A.. Portecop. J.. De Montaignac. P.. 1980. The post-eruptive vegetation of La Soufrière, Guadeloupe, 1977–1979. Journal of the Arnold Arboretum. en. 61. 4. 762.
  6. Lozano. P.. Bussmann. R. W.. Küppers. M.. 2007. A checklist of pioneer plant regeneration on natural and anthropogenic landslides on the eastern side of Podocarpus National Park -Southern Ecuador. Redesma. 1. 2.