Viola praemorsa subsp. linguifolia
Photo: parent species Viola praemorsa · (c) Zac Peterson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Violaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Viola praemorsa subsp. linguifolia is a native California herb in the Violaceae family, recognized by . Key features: elongated elliptic leaves, tapered leaf bases.
Tongue-leafed yellow violet is a California native perennial found in northwestern California, the Cascade Range, northern and central Sierra Nevada Mountains, and Modoc Plateau in vernally moist slopes, meadows, and forest habitats at elevations of 750 to 2,400 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces yellow flowers with distinctive elliptic basal leaves that are often obliquely shaped and range from 5 to 8.5 centimeters long. Growing with stems 11 to 30 centimeters tall, it forms clumps with both basal and stem leaves. Its leaves vary from nearly entire to irregularly toothed, with basal leaves notably longer than wide and cauline leaves up to 3.5 centimeters wide. The plant produces seeds that range from medium to red-brown in color.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 32 sympatric species. Key features: elongated elliptic leaves, tapered leaf bases
Habitat and range
Habitat: Generally in vernally moist soil, slopes, meadows, forest
Elevation: 750-2400 m
Outside California: to Washington, Alberta, Wyoming, to Colorado
Bloom period
Viola praemorsa subsp. linguifolia blooms May-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Asarum: Viola flowers sit above ground on stalks; Asarum flowers hide at ground level under heart-shaped leaves.; vs Cardamine: Viola has irregular flowers with a spur; Cardamine has 4-petaled symmetrical flowers.; vs Lycianthes: Viola flowers have a backward spur; Lycianthes has star-shaped flowers with no spur.; vs Pelargonium: Viola has a petal-derived spur; Pelargonium has a sepal-derived spur fused to the flower stalk.; vs Eschscholzia: Viola has 5 petals with one forming a spur; Eschscholzia has 4 separate fan-shaped petals.
Frequently asked questions
Is Viola praemorsa subsp. linguifolia native to California?
Yes. Viola praemorsa subsp. linguifolia is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Viola praemorsa subsp. linguifolia bloom?
Viola praemorsa subsp. linguifolia blooms May-Aug.
What plant family does Viola praemorsa subsp. linguifolia belong to?
Viola praemorsa subsp. linguifolia is in the Violaceae family, genus Viola.
What habitat does Viola praemorsa subsp. linguifolia grow in?
Viola praemorsa subsp. linguifolia grows in Generally in vernally moist soil, slopes, meadows, forest.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.