Viola improcera

Location & distribution maps

Common name:         Dwarf Violet

Conservation status: Endangered

• Viola improcera (dwarf violet) is listed in the Endangered category of the threatened species list under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) effective from 07 September 2023

• Dwarf violet is threatened by climate change, habitat disturbance by humans, feral horses (Equus caballus) and feral deer (Cervidae spp.) and grazing by feral rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

• These threats may work in combination with each other in ways that exacerbate the individual threats

• It is possible that the species is also threatened by other invasive species such as feral pigs (Sus scrofa), feral goats (Capra hircus), and weeds; however, there is insufficient information available to determine the effects of these threats

• In nurseries, the species has been found to be susceptible to damage by aphids and slugs (ANBG 2022); however, there is insufficient information on the susceptibility of wild subpopulations to determine the extent of this threat.

Etymology:   

• Diminutive of viole "violet," from Latin viola "the violet, a violet colour" 

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Flowers

• The flowers have 5 pale blue-violet petals 10-25 mm long, elongating to 4 cm or more when in fruit

• The species flowers in December

Fruit:                            

• The dry fruit (capsule) is 6 mm long and ellipsoid and the seeds are ovoid, 2 mm

• long, glossy black in colour and smooth or wrinkled (rugulose)

Leaves:         

• Its tufted leaves are green with wavy rounded or toothed (crenate-serrate) edges, and grow to 18-22 mm long, on 40 mm long narrowly-winged stalks (petiole)

Stem & branches: 

Roots:         

Habit:        

• Dwarf violet is a compact, perennial herb that grows to around 2 cm tall with trailing stems that root at the nodes (stoloniferous) 

Habitat:   

• Dwarf violet grows in open vegetation on rocky soil at elevations of c. 1300 – 1800 m, most often near or on upper slopes and summits, although the recently discovered site at Big Creamy Flats in Namadgi NP is along a valley floor

Distribution:                  

• Dwarf violet is known from at least five subpopulations

• All known sites occur within NPs; including Alpine NP (Vic), Namadgi NP (ACT) and Deua NP (NSW) 

Additional notes:     

Sources of information:

• https://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/species/pubs/3879-conservation-advice-07092023.pdf (2024)