Yellow Prairie Violet

Description:

"Yellow prairie violet is an attractive dryland violet with clumps of green leaves and several bright yellow flowers found on stems (to 15 cm high) that are about equal in height to the leaves. The leaf blades range from smooth to copiously covered with minute hairs, the blades narrowly elliptic lanceolate to ovate or lanceolate, depending on the variety. The margins are entire or wavy-margined, or occasionally lightly toothed. The blades range from 2-10 cm in length, while the long thin petioles range from 3-15 cm long. The flowers are bright yellow, from 5-15 mm long with a short spur. The upper 2 petals may be clear yellow on the back (as in variety bakeri) or may have brownish backs (as in the other varieties). The lower 3 petals are penciled with brownish-purple lines in the throat."

Habitat:

I found this flower on Pete's Creek Trail, Col Bob, Quinault. "Yellow prairie violet may be found in open grasslands, among sagebrush, or in open ponderosa pine or oak forests."

Notes:

Also known as Canary Violet, Upland Yellow Violet and Yellow Montane Violet