VIOLACEAE

Viola missouriensis

Common Name:

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habit in early Spring--Viola missouriensis is an herbaceous perennial, and one of our earliest bloomers leaves in late Winter--V. missouriensis overwinters as a basal rosette.  Do you see how the leaf lobes (at the base of each leaf) unfurl?
 
flower clsoeup--is this flower zygomorphic or actinomorphic?  The lines on the petals help guide the pollinator to the nectar at the base of the flower, and thus are called "nectar guides".