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Viola septentrionalis

Greene

Northern Woodland Violet

G5Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.150381
Element CodePDVIO04230
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderViolales
FamilyViolaceae
GenusViola
Other Common Names
Northern Blue Violet (EN) northern woodland violet (EN) Violette septentrionale (FR)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Taxonomic Comments
This record represents Viola septentrionalis in the broad sense with two distinct varieties (grisea and septentrionalis) (Kartesz 1994). Ballard et al. (2023) split out and elevated var. grisea to the species level, resulting in a narrower concept of V. septentrionalis that is equivalent to V. septentrionalis var. septentrionalis of Kartesz (1994). The material recognized in the Kartesz (1994) concept of V. septentrionalis intersects V. sororia and V. novae-angliae of FNA (vol. 6, 2015) which includes V. septentrionalis var. grisea in V. novae-angliae and includes V. septentrionalis var. septentrionalis in V. sororia.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-07-11
Change Date1984-10-03
Edition Date2024-07-11
Edition AuthorsEberly (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Rank Reasons
Viola septentrionalis is a perennial herb that is a member of the Viola sororia complex, which has varying taxonomic interpretations through time. This assessment is for V. septentrionalis in the broad sense, including some material classified as V. sororia, V. novae-angliae, or V. septentrionalis var. grisea (V. grisea), depending on the treatment referenced. With a large range extent, over 200 occurrences, and broad habitat preferences, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Viola septentrionalis, in the broad sense, includes Viola grisea of the western Great Lakes Region and Viola septentrionalis s.s. that ranges across the North American continent, where it is largely found in boreal and montane areas from Newfoundland and south to North Carolina and Tennessee, and west to Iowa, Montana and Washington (Ballard et al. 2023). Range extent was estimated using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records documented between 1983 and 2024, it is estimated that there are at least 200 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, SEINet 2024). The reliability of interpreting concepts based on determinations of herbarium records is problematic due to the various taxonomic treatments in the Viola sororia complex
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Viola septentrionalis var. grisea (syn. V. grisea) grows on "Thin soil on mostly granitic rock outcrops and other acidic rock substrates along rivers, moist sand of lakeshores and borders of mesic sand prairies, rarely on limestone alvar (Ballard et al. 2023)". Ballard et al. (2023) describe the habitat of V. septentrionalis var. septentrionalis as "Thin sandy or gravelly loam soils in dry-mesic forests, on cliffs and ledges, commonly in limestone rubble or over dolomite or limestone bedrock, frequently growing under Thuja or Juniperus in the northern portion of its range."

Reproduction

This species produces chasmogamous flowers in the spring but cleistogamous flowers in later in the growing season.
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest EdgeGrassland/herbaceous
Other Nations (2)
CanadaNNR
ProvinceRankNative
Prince Edward IslandSNRYes
Nova ScotiaSNRYes
OntarioSNRYes
Island of NewfoundlandS2Yes
ManitobaSNRYes
QuebecSNRYes
British ColumbiaSNRYes
SaskatchewanSNRYes
New BrunswickSNRYes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
North CarolinaSNRYes
WisconsinSNRYes
VermontSNRYes
PennsylvaniaSNRYes
MaineSNRYes
New YorkS5Yes
MontanaSNRYes
MassachusettsSNRYes
TennesseeSNRYes
OhioSUYes
MichiganSNRYes
GeorgiaSNRYes
New JerseyS1Yes
ConnecticutSNRYes
IllinoisSNRYes
VirginiaS3Yes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
New HampshireSNRYes
IdahoS1Yes
West VirginiaS1Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undeterminedUnknownUnknownUnknown

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (1)
Michigan (1)
AreaForestAcres
Norwich Plains Revised Roadless AreaOttawa National Forest4,360
References (3)
  1. Ballard, H.E. Jr., J.T. Kartesz, and M. Nishino. 2023. A taxonomic treatment of the violets (Violaceae) of the northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society 150(1): 3-266.
  2. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2015. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 6. Magnoliophyta: Cucurbitaceae to Droserceae. Oxford University Press, New York. 496 pp + xxiv.
  3. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.