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Questions and Answers: 2025

Question: hello, I just want to know what your default nomenclature for Viola pallens is. It’s obvious from the gobotany page. …

• Question

  hello, I just want to know what your default nomenclature for Viola pallens is. It’s obvious from the gobotany page. -however I’ve heard its really macloskeyi ssp. pallens, ( listed as synonym on your page) and now Viola minuscula for most of the country except western regions. Any thoughts? thank you

  Answer

  Dear Ethnobotanist, for a long while, Viola pallens was considered to be a subspecies of the western Viola macloskeyi. Recent research reaffirms they are distinct species and should be treated as such. However, examination of the type material to which the name Viola pallens is based on shows that it is Viola palustris. So, the next available name was Viola minuscula (published in 1906). The recent for the number of name changes for this violet are based on recent phylogenetic studies and misapplication of names due to a misidentification. I hope this is helpful.