Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Fabids: Malpighiales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Viola villosa
FAMILY
Violaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
For the most current and comprehensive body of information regarding violets in our region, visit the new website Violets (Violaceae) of the Great Plains and Eastern North America.
Read more about Southern Woolly Violet at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Viola villosa
FAMILY
Violaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH A taxonomic treatment of the violets (Violaceae) of the northeastern US and adjacent Canada (Ballard, Kartesz, & Nishino, 2023)
Viola villosa
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Viola villosa
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 6 (2015)
Viola villosa
SYNONYMOUS WITH Violaceae of the Southeastern US (McKinney & Russell, 2002)
Viola villosa
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Viola villosa
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 130-02-006:
Viola villosa FAMILY Violaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Viola villosa
COMMON NAME:
Southern Woolly Violet, Carolina Violet
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmvvillosa_and1
March Anderson County SC
The earliest flowering blue or violet-flowered species, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmvvillosa_and2
March Anderson County SC
Leaves evergreen, often lying flat on the ground, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmvvillosa_and4
March Anderson County SC
Leaves densely pubescent on both surfaces, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmvvillosa_and6
March Anderson County SC
An inconspicuous plant easily overlooked, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
Herbarium of Clemson University h_cu81070
December Beaufort County SC
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Viola villosa
FAMILY
Violaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Viola villosa
FAMILY
Violaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
A taxonomic treatment of the violets (Violaceae) of the northeastern US and adjacent Canada (Ballard, Kartesz, & Nishino, 2023)
Viola villosa
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Viola villosa
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 6
Viola villosa
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Violaceae of the Southeastern US (McKinney & Russell, 2002)
Viola villosa
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Viola villosa
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 130-02-006:
Viola villosa
FAMILY
Violaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Viola villosa
2359
Forb
Perennial
Habitat: pocosin ecotones, other sites with moist soils, rocky or sandy oak-pine woodlands or wooded slopes, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Uncommon (rare in Mountains) (rare in NC Piedmont)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Evergreen/Tardily deciduous
Simple
Plant acaulescent (without aerial stems)
Margins crenate
Leaves densely pubescent on both surfaces
FLOWER:
Winter/SpringFall
Bluish/Blue-violet
Bilaterally symmetrical
Lateral petals bearded, spurred occasionally
5 sepals
5 petals
5 stamens
FRUIT:
Spring
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 1st ed. (Porcher & Rayner, 2001) p277
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p331
- Wild Flowers of NC, 2nd edition (Justice, Bell, & Lindsey, 2005) p155
- Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011) p147
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".