Violet

Violets (Viola) are a genus of flowering plants in the family Violaceae, with around 400-500 species throughout the world, mainly in the temperate Northern Hemisphere but also in Hawaii, Australasia, and the Andes in South America. more...

They are typically found in moist and slightly shaded conditions such as hedgerows.

Most violets are small perennial plants, but a few are annual plants and some are small shrubs. They typically have heart-shaped leaves, and asymmetrical flowers with four upswept or fan-shaped petals, two each side, and one broad, lobed lower petal pointing downward. The shape of the petals defines many species, for example, some violets have a "spur" on the end of each petal. Flower colours vary in the genus; many are violet as their name suggests, and some are blue, some yellow, some white, some cream; some are bicolored, often blue and yellow. Flowering is often profuse, and may last for much of the spring and summer.

One quirk of some violets is the elusive scent of their flowers; along with terpenes, a major component of the scent is a ketone compound called ionone, which temporarily desensitises the receptors in the nose; sniff all you like, you won't get any more smell from the flower.

Selected species

The following species have pages on Wikipedia; see List of Viola species for a more complete list.

• Viola arvensis - Field Pansy
• Viola biflora - Yellow Wood Violet or Twoflower Violet
• Viola canina - Heath Dog Violet
• Viola hirta - Hairy Violet
• Viola odorata - Sweet Violet
• Viola pedunculata - Yellow Pansy
• Viola riviniana - Common Dog Violet
• Viola stagnina - Fen Violet
• Viola tricolor - Wild Pansy or Heart's-ease

Note that Saintpaulia ("African violets") are not related to the true violets.

The genus includes the dog violets, a group of scentless species which are the commonest violets in many areas, the Sweet Violet Viola odorata (named from its sweet scent), and many other species whose common name includes the word "violet". Several species are known as pansies, including the Yellow Pansy of the Pacific coasts.

The Common Blue Violet Viola sororia is the state flower of Rhode Island, Illinois, and New Jersey.

Australia is home to a number of violets, including Viola hederacea and Viola banksii, first collected by Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander on the Cook voyage to Botany Bay.

The modern Garden Pansy (V. × wittrockiana) is a plant of complex hybrid origin involving at least three species, V. tricolor (Wild Pansy or Heart's-ease), V. altaica and V. lutea (Mountain Pansy).

Violets are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Giant Leopard Moth, Large Yellow Underwing, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing and Setaceous Hebrew Character.

Read more at Wikipedia.org