Viola adunca

Early Blue Violet

Early Blue Violet
aka Western Dog Violet, Wild Dog Violet, Western Long-spurred Violet. This short plant produces relatively large, 3/4″ (2 cm) across, deep violet flowers penciled with deeper violet veins on the lower petals. The veins serve as guides to direct bees to the nectar spur which is unusually long for a violet reaching about half the length of the lower petal blade. The leaves are oval to heart-shaped and up to an inch long. Usually found in forest openings and meadows above 4,000′ elevation.

Family:

Violaceae - VIOLET FAMILY

Genus:

Viola is Latin for violet

Species:

adunca means 'hooked' in reference to spurred base of lower petal
Photo location: From several locations incuding Ipsut Pass Trail, Noble Knob, Grand Park and Upper Van Trump Park.