About Viola trinervata (Howell) Howell ex A.Gray
Commonly called the sagebrush violet, this species has the accepted scientific name Viola trinervata (Howell) Howell ex A.Gray. It is a low-growing perennial herb that forms a cluster of palmate, leathery leaves with prominent veins. Each palmate leaf grows at the tip of a hairless stem that emerges from the ground, and each leaflet has three prominent veins – the feature that gives the species its epithet trinervata. One of these veins runs through the center of the leaflet, while the other two sit at or near each edge of the leaflet. Its showy flowers develop in spring, growing singly from basal stems. The upper two petals of the flower are dark purple, while the lower three petals are a paler lilac that is sometimes white, with a yellow base and often marked with radiating darker purple lines. A full technical description of the species is available in the Flora of North America. The sagebrush violet grows in seasonally moist big sagebrush habitat and adjacent rocky hillsides. Its native range is limited to the Columbia River plateau in the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon, where it occurs at elevations between 400 and 1200 meters. Although the species does not have a wide overall distribution, it is frequently locally common within its range. The seeds of the sagebrush violet have a fleshy elaiosome, a trait that indicates ants play a role in dispersing its seeds.
