Viola purpurea subsp. venosa
Purple-marked yellow violet, Purple-Marked Yellow Violet
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Violaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Viola purpurea subsp. venosa (Purple-marked yellow violet) is a native California herb in the Violaceae family, recognized by Leaf venation patterns require careful observation.
Purple-marked yellow violet is a California native perennial found in northern coastal ranges, northern Sierra Nevada, southern Great Basin, Great Basin, and Panamint Mountains in diverse habitats including pine forests, desert areas, gravelly plains, and meadow edges at elevations of 1,300 to 3,350 meters. Flowering from April to September, this plant produces yellow flowers with distinctive purple markings, relatively small and delicate. Growing 3 to 8.5 centimeters tall with mostly buried stems that are decumbent or erect, it develops compact growth with minimal stem elongation during the season. Its leaves are distinctive, with ovate to nearly round blades featuring 2 to 4 rounded lobes on each side, often purple-tinted and slightly fleshy, with prominent veins and irregular serrated edges. The plant thrives in varied conditions from dry to moist soils, adapting to both shaded and exposed areas with remarkable resilience.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Leaf venation patterns require careful observation
Habitat and range
Habitat: Many habitats, substrates, including pine forest, desert, gravelly plains, edges of wet meadows, grassy or rocky slopes, shaded or exposed areas, dry to moist soil, near snowdrifts
Elevation: 1300-3350 m
California counties: Riverside, Modoc, Tehama, Lassen, Plumas, Mono, Nevada, Alpine, San Bernardino, Butte, Inyo, Fresno, Los Angeles, Sierra, Kern, Shasta, Colusa, San Benito, Ventura, Tulare, El Dorado
Outside California: to British Columbia, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona
Bloom period
Viola purpurea subsp. venosa blooms Apr-Sep.
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 purpurea subsp. venosa native to California?
Yes. Viola purpurea subsp. venosa is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Viola purpurea subsp. venosa bloom?
Viola purpurea subsp. venosa blooms Apr-Sep.
Where in California does Viola purpurea subsp. venosa grow?
Viola purpurea subsp. venosa occurs in Riverside, Modoc, Tehama, Lassen, Plumas, Mono, Nevada, Alpine and other counties, at elevations of 1300-3350 m.
What plant family does Viola purpurea subsp. venosa belong to?
Viola purpurea subsp. venosa is in the Violaceae family, genus Viola.
What habitat does Viola purpurea subsp. venosa grow in?
Viola purpurea subsp. venosa grows in Many habitats, substrates, including pine forest, desert, gravelly plains, edges of wet meadows, grassy or rocky slopes, shaded or exposed areas, dry to moist soil, near snowdrifts.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · 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.