kingdom Plantae - plants »  divisio Magnoliophyta - flowering plants »  class Rosopsida - eudicots » order Malpighiales »  family Violaceae »  tribus Violeae > genus Viola > Viola sect. Viola  L. > Viola subsect. Rostratae Kupffer    

Viola sequeirae Capelo & al.

| Bio Lib | 

Synon.: = Viola riviniana auct. mad. non Rchb. 

Common names: 

Description: A Viola riviniana differt petalis lateralis divaricatis paene horizontalis vel parvo angulo descendentibus, anguste ovatis-rhomboidalis ratione longitudine / latitudine maior quam 1.6, atenuatis; petalas superiores etiam similia haec sunt; V. sequeirae, dissimiliter V. riviniana, nunquam petalas deorsus ostendentes, latis elipticis ratione longitudine / latitudine ad usque 1.4 (1.6), obtusis habet. Praeterhac V. sequeirae ad Viola anagae Gilli - Feddes Repert. 89(9-10): 595. 1979 plus minusve comparatur, sed his petalae V. riviniana similis sunt. Habitat tantum in Insula Madera. Hoc nomem ad botanicum clarissimum Miguel Menezes de Sequeira gratio animo dicamus 

Distributional Range: Native Africa MACARONESIA: Portugal, [Madeira Islands] Endemic

Comment: In the Viola cf. riviniana populations of Madeira it strikes that the lateral petals are nearly horizontal and spreading when compared to clearly downward position in the typical continental ones. Moreover, the narrow rhomboid-elliptical, tapering to the apex, lateral and upper petals allows distinction from the candidate V. anagae of Tenerife (Canaries). The later has largely elliptical blunt lateral petals instead, similar to those of V. riviniana. Thus, V. sequeirae is an autonomous species endemic to Madeira. 

References:

Capelo, R.Jardim, J.C.Costa, Lousã & Rivas Mart. Notas do Herbário Florestal do INIAV (LISFA): Fasc. XXXVII Silva Lusitana, 21(2): 235 - 238, 2013