bio.wikisort.org - Plant

Viola ucriana is a species of plant in the Violaceae family. It is a violet that is endemic to Sicily in Italy, where its known in Italian as Viola di Ucria.

Viola ucriana
Conservation status
Critically Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Malpighiales
Family:	Violaceae
Genus:	Viola
Species:	V. ucriana
Binomial name
Viola ucriana Erben & Raimondo

Distribution

Viola ucriana is only found on Mount Pizzuta, near Palermo in north-western Sicily, growing above the Piana degli Albanesi at an altitude of 800–1,300 metres (2,600–4,300 ft).[2] Its natural habitats are in Mediterranean shrubby vegetation and rocky areas here.

Endangered

The only known populations are in two localities, covering a total area of 0.2 square kilometres (0.077 sq mi).[2] It is an IUCN Red List Critically Endangered plant species and IUCN Top 50 Campaign Mediterranean Island Plants, threatened by habitat loss.[2]

Description

Viola ucriana is perennial, evergreen herbaceous plant, with elongated upper leaves and lower leaves gathered forming a cushion at the base. The greyish green leaves are partially hairy. The flowers are yellow, with yellowish-green spur. The plants predominantly flowers in late Spring, between April and June.[2]

References

External links

• Media related to Viola ucriana at Wikimedia Commons
• IUCN - Top 50 Mediterranean Island Plants: Viola ucriana
• Media related to Top 50 Campaign Mediterranean Island Plants at Wikimedia Commons

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