Common Name: Halberd-leaved Violet
Scientific Name: Viola hastata
Family: Violaceae
Blue Ridge Parkway
North Carolina
April 10, 2002
This yellow violet is one of the "stemmed" violets because its leaves are borne along an above ground stem. It is an early bloomer with easy to recognize arrowhead shaped leaves. These leaves (2-4) are clustered near the top of the stem; the silvery blotches on the upper surface of the leaves will help you spot this plant throughout the summer, after the flowers have faded. This is one of the first spring wildflowers to bloom in the Great Smokies. Its specific name, hastata, means "spear-shaped," which refers to the leaf of this plant. A halberd was a tall battle ax type weapon used in the 15th and 16th centuries. The shape of the weapon's head was the inspiration for this violet's common name. March - May [White, Peter, Wildflowers of the Smokies. Great Smoky Mountains Natural History Association, Gatlinburg, 1996]
Stem leaves about twice as long as wide, triangular or arrow-shaped. The backs of the petals are tinged with violet. [Newcomb, Lawrence, Newcomb's Wildflower Guide. Little, Brown and Company, Boston, 1977]
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Alphabetical Listings -- A B C D, E F G H I, J, K L M N, O P Q, R S T U, V W X, Y, Z
Family Listings -- A B C D, E F G H I, J, K L M N, O P Q, R S T U, V W X, Y, Z
Genus Listings -- A B C D, E F G H I, J, K L M N, O P Q, R S T U, V W X, Y, Z