Blue violet

Description:

Viola adunca, a highly variable species. This appeared to me at first as perhaps Viola nephrophylla (but in question) at first glance based on mainly the acaulescent flower stems, and somewhat blunt, non-hooked spur; however, the leaves were not as prominently crenate as expected and it does appear that there is a stipule on the flowering stalk indicating that it is caulescent and in this picture it appears that the tallest peduncle is arising from a leafy stem, plus the habitat was not right for V. nephrophylla. The blue veins are not as prominent as is more normally the case for V. adunca. July 22, 2011, upper Millcreek Canyon, Salt Lake County, Utah, approx. 7,700 ft. elev., in shade of tall trees fairly close to a stream but not riparian nor boggy or particularly moist.