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Smooth Yellow Violet (Viola pubescens)
Flower ¾
in., plant 6-16 in., Violet family
Violets aren’t
just violet. They come in blue, purple, yellow, white – even green! Some
scientists believe that, after green, yellow was the first color developed
by flowers.
There are more
than a dozen yellow species of violet in the West, about five in the East
and Midwest. Whites and yellows have a bit of purple or brown, probably to
guide insects to their pollen.
All violets
have five petals, and all are found in woods, but their leaves vary. Smooth
Yellow Violet is so-named for its smooth heart-shaped leaves, probably to
distinguish it from its cousin, Hairy or Downy Yellow. It appears in woods
in April. Other yellow species have round or spear-shaped leaves.
Downy Yellow
Violet (Viola pensylvanica) is on the endangered Watch List of some
states.
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