Violets / Violas

[Gerdk]

Trond,
thank you for the new set of pics!

Here is one flowering in my garden now. I bought it as V. labradorica purpurea but read that it is a form of canina. Do you know anything about that?

Viola labradorica purpurea is most probably a purple leaved variant of Viola riviniana - misnamed a long time ago and better should be called Viola riviniana 'Purpurea Group'. The 'real' Viola labradorica is a weaker and less showy plant in the garden and difficult to obtain.

Gerd

[Hoy]

OK, thanks Gerd.

Here is another rosulate viola: Viola volcanica (or is it vulcanica?) We found it several places and it preferred volcanic ash! The first picture shows dead trees where a layer of ash had killed them a few years ago but the violet liked it.

[Hoy]

Viola escondidaensis

[Hoy]

Some more violets ... a Senna arnottiana

and the surroundings with an unhappy inhabitant!

[Maggi Young]

Wow! Big canine teeth! What is it? What was it?

[Maggi Young]

Some stunning Viola pedata pictures  here :  http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=13121.msg333394#msg333394   - these from Anne Speigel

 and here too : http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=13148.msg333070#msg333070  from Bobby Ward


 and this one  from Panayoti Kelaidis

[Hans J]

Wow! Big canine teeth! What is it? What was it?

Maggi ,

it could only be a dog or a Fox ....both have the same formula of theeths
Fox :
I C P M
3 1 4 2
3 1 4 3
Dog:
I C P M
3 1 4 2
3 1 4 3

Hans

[Maggi Young]

Ah, thank you Hans - I forgot that you have a close professional knowledge of teeth!! 

[Hans J]

 

[ashley]

... it could only be a dog or a Fox ....both have the same formula of theeths
Fox :
I C P M
3 1 4 2
3 1 4 3
Dog:
I C P M
3 1 4 2
3 1 4 3

Such w-i-d-e expertise on this forum
Culpeo (Lycalopex culpaeus) maybe?

Wonderful violas Trond.  V. volcanica leaves remind me of pieces of felt cut out with pinking shears.  Does the dense hair protect them from cold/dessication/ultraviolet light?
In the background of your senna photo those trees look like Araucaria araucana.  I didn't realize its range extends into Argentina.

[Rick R.]

This Minnesota (USA) sand prairie is home to wonderful colony of Viola pedata.  This pic taken on 2 April, in USDA zone 4. The rich brown is last seasons Viola pedata leaves.


They are not restricted to, but seem to prefer the rim of this shallow, fairly stabilized blow out. vegetation is usually sparse where they grow best.
            

           

[Rick R.]

More pics:
   

           

 

[Lori S.]

So much beauty!  Thanks for posting, Trond and Rick!

[Hoy]

Wow! Big canine teeth! What is it? What was it?

Sorry Maggi, but I overlooked this one!
You have already got answers - it is a canid but it is several small canids in South America. So culpeo is a possibility.

[Hoy]

Wonderful violas Trond.  V. volcanica leaves remind me of pieces of felt cut out with pinking shears.  Does the dense hair protect them from cold/dessication/ultraviolet light?
In the background of your senna photo those trees look like Araucaria araucana.  I didn't realize its range extends into Argentina.

Thanks Ashley - I'll bring some more when I have time!

Regarding the volcanica I believe the texture of the leaves is camouflage. Other violets were as much exposed but had very different leaves. V. volcanica was very hard to spot until you got used to it. A few others are similar. You will see later

Yes, Monkey Puzzle extends into Argentina and used to cover huge areas along the Chilean border. Now the forests are declining although the lumbering is mostly stopped. Seeds are produced irregulaily and in the open areas where the understory is remoev (grazing etc) the seedlings have problem to establish. The huge seeds are also food for many species including man.
We visited one place with a remnant of the old ancient forest with mature trees and good regeneration.



Many places pine plantations replaced the old Araucaria forests.



Mixed forests - Araucaria and Nothofagus.



A common understory "shrub" is bamboo Chusquea sp.



A lot of young trees in this area.