Suksdorfia violacea is an uncommon species of herbaceous flowering plant in the saxifrage family known by the common name violet suksdorfia.[3] In 1879 Asa Gray named the genus Suksdorfia after Wilhelm Nikolaus Suksdorf who had first collected a specimen of S. violacea in 1878 near Mount Adams-White Salmon, Washington and sent it to Gray for assistance in classifying it. Gray and Suksdorf had a long and close working relationship, and Gray initially identified and named various species found by Suksdorf.[4] Its conservation status has been rated by NatureServe as "G4 – Apparently Secure".[5]

Suksdorfia violacea
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Saxifragaceae
Genus: Suksdorfia
Species:
S. violacea
Binomial name
Suksdorfia violacea
Synonyms[1][2]
  • Hemieva violacea (A. Gray) Wheelock

Taxonomy

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Suksdorfia violacea is the type species for this genus and Gray named it after Suksdorf.[4] The genus name Hemieva Raf. was published earlier than Suksdorfia, but was less well known, and Suksdorfia is now a conserved name.[6] Therefore, Hemieva violacea, although correct when it was published in 1896 is no longer the correct name for this species.[7]

Ecology

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Suksdorfia violacea is found in Washington, British Columbia, Oregon, Alberta, Montana, and Idaho.[8] It is most common in Washington and southeast British Columbia.[9] It prefers moist areas with rocks, crevices, ledges, and fences.[8][10] It is a perennial that grows from rhizomes. It has petiolate rounded leaves that are 1–2.5 centimeters (0.39–0.98 in) wide. The calyx is a slender bell shape. The flower is a five-lobed, violet-colored, slender, tapered, and with 5 stamens. The fruits are 4–6 millimeters (0.16–0.24 in) long and have 0.5 millimeters (0.020 in) brown seeds.[8][10] The plants usually grow to a height of 10–20 centimeters (3.9–7.9 in) in small groups at lower elevations.[10][11][12]

References

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Bibliography

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  • Jones, George Neville (April 1933). "Wilhelm N. Suksdorf". Washington Historical Quarterly. 24 (2). Retrieved January 19, 2015.
  • Kershaw, Linda (2001). Rare Vascular Plants of Alberta. Calgary: University of Alberta Press. ISBN 0-88864-319-5.
  • Love, Rhoda M. (Fall 1998). "Wilhelm Nikolaus Suksdorf (1850-1932) Pioneer Botanist of the Pacific Northwest" (PDF). Pacific Northwest Quarterly.
  • Nicolson, Dan; Wiersema, John. "Proposals and Disposals: An Accounting of Algal, Fungal, and Plant Nomenclature Proposals". Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  • Qian, Hong; Klinka, Karel (1998). Plants of British Columbia. Seattle: University of Washington Press. ISBN 978-0-774-80652-7.
  • "Hemieva violacea (A. Gray) Wheelock". The Plant List Kew Gardens. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  • "Suksdorfia violacea". Nature Serve Explorer. 2015. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  • "Suksdorfia violacea". Pacific Northwest Flowers. 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
  • "Suksdorfia violacea". Tropicos. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  • "Suksdorfia violacea". Washington State University Herbarium. 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
  • "Suksdorfia violacea A. Gray". University of British Columbia. 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
  • "Violet Suksdorfia - Suksdorfia violacea". State of Montana. 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
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