Plant: perennial herb; 4-30 cm tall. STEMS none; plants arising from a short, vertical rhizome, glabrous to sparsely pilose Leaves: basal, erect, glabrous to short hirsute, the margins ciliate; palmately divided into 5-9 linear, spatulate, obovate, or falcate segments, each cleft or parted toward apex; apices obtuse, acute to mucro tipped; bases truncate, reniform or cordate INFLORESCENCE: scapose; pedicels to 18 cm long Flowers: petals light to dark blue-violet on face, the lower 3 bearded Fruit: FRUITS glabrous, ovoid to oblong; SEEDS ca. 15-20, usually ovoid, with a prominent caruncle Misc: Coniferous forests; normally of prairie habitats, rarely in open woods.; 2400 m (7800 ft); May-Jun REFERENCES: Little, R. John. Violaceae. 2001. J. Ariz. – Nev. Acad. Sci. Volume 33(1).