Viola praemorsa Dougl.

ex Lindl, yellow montane violet (native) and Viola riviniana, Common dog-violet (Sometimes mistakenly labeled Viola labradorica) Description V. praemorsa is a perennial herb/forb with fibrous roots. It has basal ovate-lanceolate leaves. 5 petalled bright yellow flowers arise singly on stalks from the base of the leaf stems. The lowest petal includes a long spur and the lower 3 petals have thin brown markings. In British Columbia it is a red-listed species, in Canada and COSEWIC, threatened. Viola riviniana is a perennial herb/forb with fibrous adventitious roots. grown as a groundcover in gardens. It can become naturalized or even an invasive species when planted near adjacent native plant habitats and natural ecosystems. Its rosettes of evergreen, purple, heart shaped leaves are hairless. Its small flowers are blue/violet with a purple spur. Range V. praemorsa occurs on the west coast of North America from southwestern British Columbia to northern California at low elevations. In Canada, it is restricted to southeastern Vancouver Island and Saltspring Island. The populations represent the northern limit of the geographic range in North America. Habitat V. praemorsa occupies a number of different habitats: dry grassy slopes, meadows and garry-oak savannah at low elevations. It inhabits deep soils with associated species: Camassia quamash, Dodecatheon hendersonii and pulchellum, Lomatium utriculatum, Raninculus occidentalis, Trieteleia hyacinthine. Introduced grasses are usually prevalent. Habitats were likely maintained by frequent fires in the past V. riviniana grows in woodlands, grasslands and shady hedge banks. It is found in all soils accept acid or very wet. It can grow in sun to full shade. Reproduction and Dispersal V. praemorsa emerges in early spring and the flowers appear in April and May. Seeds are explosively ejected from capsules during early to midsummer. V. praemorsa does not reproduce vegetatively, so seed production is required to spread this species into new habitats. Cross-pollination is required. V. riviniana blooms from March to May and often to September. It can become invasive as it self-seeds prolifically. Vegetative propagation is from branching runners and the production of adventitious root buds. New rosettes also blossom from the old rosettes of

runners lying on the ground. V. riviniana is capable of cross-pollination but it also selfpollinates (cleistogamous flowers produced June - September). Seeds are dispersed by ejection and dispersed by ants. The majority of seeds originates from cleistogamous flowers but cross-pollinated flower seeds have a higher germination rate. V. praemorsa may have dense populations in a small area but V. riviniana has a dense population from vegetative reproduction and further spread from seed dispersal by ants.