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Glase, Terry

Suksdorfia violacea

Suksdorfia violacea A. Gray

Violet Suksdorfia

Saxifragaceae (Saxifrage Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: SUVI

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

A slender, delicate plant with few branches at top bearing several deep pink or violet, funnel-shaped flowers.

Wilhelm Nikolaus Suksdorf, whom the genus and common names honor, was one of the foremost plant collectors of the Pacific Northwest around the turn of the 20th century. The only other species, Buttercup-leaved Suksdorfia (S. ranunculifolia), found from British Columbia south to California and east to Montana, has white petals; its five stamens and broad leafstalk bases (especially of the stem leaves) distinguish it from similar species of Saxifraga, which have 10 stamens and narrow leafstalk bases.

From the Image Gallery

3 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Shape: Reniform
Leaf Venation: Palmate
Leaf Margin: Lobed
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: 4 to 8" in height.
Leaf: Basal leaves with long petioles are normally withered by flowering. Stem leaves are mostly sessile with large, lobed, leaf-like stipules.
Fruit: Capsule

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Pink , Violet
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun
Bloom Notes: Flower color is deep ping to pastel pink to pastel lavender. Stamens and pistils are completely inserted in the floral tube.

Distribution

USA: ID , MT , OR , WA
Canada: AB , BC
Native Distribution: British Columbia south to northern Oregon and east to northern Idaho and northwestern Montana.
Native Habitat: Moist, sandy, shaded areas, mossy banks, cliffs, and rock crevices.

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:			FAC							FAC

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

Additional resources

USDA: Find Suksdorfia violacea in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Suksdorfia violacea in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Suksdorfia violacea

Metadata

Record Modified: 2014-07-05
Research By: Joseph A. Marcus

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