Taxon Report

Viola pinetorum Greene ssp. grisea (Jeps.) R.J. Little

grey-leaved violet

Print Report


Taxon Summary

Viola pinetorum ssp. grisea, commonly known as grey-leaved violet, is a perennial herb in the Violaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Meadows and seeps, Subalpine coniferous forest, and Upper montane coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 1500 to 3400 meters. Viola pinetorum ssp. grisea is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

  Classification
Scientific Name:
 Viola pinetorum Greene ssp. grisea (Jeps.) R.J. Little
Common Name:
 grey-leaved violet
Family: Violaceae
Element Code: PDVIO04431
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:
  • Viola pinetorum var. grisea

Ecology and Life History
Lifeform: perennial herb
Blooming Period: Apr-Jul Apr-Jul
Elevation: 1500-3400 (4920-11155)
General Habitats: Meadows and seeps, Subalpine coniferous forest, Upper montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status
CA Rare Plant Rank: 1B.2
Global Rank: G4G5T3?
State Rank:
 S3
State List: None
Fed List: None
Other Status: BLM_S; SB_CalBG/RSABG
CRPR Changes:
  • changed from 1B.3 to 1B.2 on 2017-10-06

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
Total Occurrences: 90
Element Occurrence Ranks:
   Excellent (A) 6
   Good (B) 17
   Fair (C) 13
   Poor (D) 1
   None (X) 0
   Unknown (U) 53

Location
California Endemic:  True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Fresno (FRE), Inyo (INY), Kern (KRN), Los Angeles (LAX), Madera (MAD), San Bernardino (SBD), Tulare (TUL), Ventura (VEN)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Alta Sierra (3511865), Big Bear City (3411637), Big Bear Lake (3411628), Bonita Meadows (3611813), California Hot Springs (3511886), Cannell Peak (3511873), Casa Vieja Meadows (3611823), Claraville (3511843), Coyote Flat (3711824), Crag Peak (3611812), Crystal Lake (3411737), Cucamonga Peak (3411725), Cuddy Valley (3411971), Durrwood Creek (3611814), Fairview (3511884), Fawnskin (3411638), Fish Springs (3711813), Florence Lake (3711838), Graveyard Peak (3711848), Haiwee Pass (3611821), Huntington Lake (3711922), Johnsondale (3511885), Kaiser Peak (3711932), Kern Lake (3611834), Kern Peak (3611833), Little Shuteye Peak (3711944), Long Canyon (3611811), Marion Peak (3611885), Mariposa Grove (3711955), Mescal Creek (3411746), Mineral King (3611845), Monache Mountain (3611822), Moonridge (3411627), Mount Whitney (3611853), Mt. Abbot (3711847), Mt. Brewer (3611864), Mt. Thompson (3711825), Muir Grove (3611867), Musick Mtn. (3711923), Olancha (3611831), Piute Peak (3511844), Sawmill Mountain (3411972), Sentinel Peak (3611815), Shuteye Peak (3711934), Silver City (3611846), Sirretta Peak (3511883), Slide Bluffs (3611886), Squaw Dome (3711943), Tehachapi South (3511814), Templeton Mtn. (3611832), The Sphinx (3611875), Timber Knob (3711953), Tobias Peak (3511875), Triple Divide Peak (3611855)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB

Threat List Total: 10
EOs with Threat Listed: Total EOs % of EOs
39 43 %
Foot traffic/trampling 20 22%
Grazing 19 21%
ORV activity 13 14%
Road/trail construction/maint. 10 11%
Recreational use (non-ORV) 5 5%
Other 3 3%
Over-collecting/poaching 1 1%
Erosion/runoff 1 1%
Logging 1 1%
Non-native plant impacts 1 1%

Notes
Threatened by grazing, trampling, and vehicles. Possibly threatened by recreational activities. See V. pinetorum ssp. grisea in TJM 2. See Flora of California 2(1):521 (1936) by W.L. Jepson for original description, and Phytologia 72(2):77-78 (1992) and Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas for revised nomenclature.
Threats:
Threatened by grazing, trampling, and vehicles.
Taxonomy:
See V. pinetorum ssp. grisea in TJM 2.

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 6 July 2025].