Viola riviniana
Species of flowering plant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Viola riviniana, the common dog-violet, is a species of flowering plant in the family Violaceae, native to Eurasia and Africa.[1] It is also called wood violet[1] and dog violet.[1] It inhabits woodland edges, grassland and shady hedge banks. It is found in all soils except those which are acid or very wet.
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| Viola riviniana | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Violaceae |
| Genus: | Viola |
| Species: | V. riviniana |
| Binomial name | |
| Viola riviniana | |
Growing to 10 cm (3.9 in) tall and 50 cm (20 in) broad, this prostrate perennial has dark green, heart-shaped leaves and produces multiple violet coloured flowers in May and June.[2]
Viola riviniana was voted the county flower of Lincolnshire in 2002, following a poll by the wild plant conservation charity Plantlife.[3]
Distribution
Wildlife value
It is the food plant of the pearl bordered fritillary, small pearl-bordered fritillary, silver-washed fritillary and high brown fritillary butterflies.
It is a known host of the pathogenic fungus Puccinia violae.[6]
Similar species
- Viola odorata (sweet violet) – fragrant; all the leaves are located at the base of the plant; stipules are gland-tipped
- Viola canina (heath dog violet) – clear blue flowers; narrower leaves; smaller teeth on the stipules
- Viola palustris (marsh violet) – found in wet places; leaves are kidney-shaped; grows from underground creeping stems; dark-veined flowers; stipules without teeth
- Viola labradorica (alpine violet) – V. riviniana is sometimes sold by nurseries as V. labradorica
Hybrids
This species hybridises with early dog-violet (V. reichenbachiana) to produce Viola × bavarica.
