Hi, I got two native violets V. adunca and V. palustris from a mail order nursery last year. The first photo is taken of the planted V. adunca. The second photo is of where I planted the V. palustris, but it looks like a seedling of V. adunca has volunteered itself, but I am not sure! They are so similiar...Am I correct in guessing that the leaves of V. palustris are slightly more lime green, while V. adunca has darker green leaves? The last 3 photos (20150414..) show the mystery seedling growing with the V. palustris. The long root is actually quite woody. And I can't be certain whether the hook on the back of the flower indicates the species or not? I have done research and most sources say they don't hybridize, but if they don't, which species is it? Has a volunteer spread there, or did I mix up the plantings of the two in the beginning? I can take more photos if there is something that will help identification. Help!
What I think happened here is that you were sold the weedy Old World Viola riviniana as V. adunca and it has started spreading. I have seen V. riviniana in commerce here as V. adunca, even had a vendor at the annual Florabundance plant sale one year argue that somebody at the University of Washington had identified their (quite apparently incorrect) stock as the native. I think if you check you will find your plant does not look like V. adunca and does look like V. riviniana. Otherwise violets are told apart by fine details, and there is a pretty high number of wild species.
Thanks..it does seed quite easily, which doesn't happen with the other V.adunca I have growing elsewhere on the property..Sad I will have to get rid of them as I don't want them spreading..
