Viola palustris
 
Marsh Violet

Whole Plant

Hudson Bay Regional Park
04-June-2020

Note the slender rootstock and hairless petioles.  Note also that the flower is borne on a leafless stem (scape).

A key to violets originally written by Vern Harmes and subsequently expanded by Glen Lee to include most of the violets found in Saskatchewan can be found here

Palustris: Answers to questions in Lee/Harmes key leading to this species. 

rootstalk slender; NOT [rootstalk thick]

runners present; NOT [runners absent]

plant without leafy flowering stems, the leaf and flower stems all arise directly from a central rootstalk; NOT [plant with leafy flowering stems]

plants glabrous; NOT [some leaves with hairy petioles]

leaves not deeply divided or lobed, merely shallowly toothed; NOT [leaves cleft almost to their bases]

flowers pale mauve; NOT [flowers blue-purple], NOT [flowers yellow], NOT [flowers white]

NOT [flower spur is long, about 2/3 the length of the petal blade]

side petals or all petals bearded; NOT [petals beardless]

 

Violaceae: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora leading to this family. 

herbs; NOT [shrubs or trees]

plants terrestrial or semiaquatic; NOT [plants aquatic, leaves submerged or floating]

plants not with colored milky juice

plants with more than one normal leaf

some or all leaves alternate; NOT [leaves opposite, whorled, or basal]

leaves with stipules; NOT [leaves without stipules, or having glands]

flowers with two floral rings

calyx regular; NOT [calyx irregular, some sepals smaller than others]

corolla with each petal distinct from the others

corolla irregular in shape; NOT [corolla regular in shape]

corolla with one petal spurred or sac-like; NOT [corolla pea-like]

stamens usually separate or partly so, not in a column; NOT [stamens numerous, united into a column]

fruit a 3-valved capsule; NOT [fruit a legume]