| Viola sororia | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Violaceae |
| Genus: | Viola |
| Species: | V. sororia |
| Binomial name | |
| Viola sororia | |
| Synonyms[2][3][4] | |
| |
Viola sororia (/vaɪˈoʊləsəˈrɔːriə/vy-OH-lə sə-ROR-ee-ə),[5] known commonly as thecommon blue violet, is a short-stemmed herbaceousperennialplant native to easternNorth America. It is known by a number of common names, includingcommon meadow violet,purple violet,woolly blue violet,hooded violet, andwood violet.[5]
This perennial plant is distributed in the eastern half of the United States, Canada, and a part of eastern Mexico.[6] Its native habitats are rich, moist woods, and swamps located in the eastern half of the United States and Canada.[7] Its cultivar 'Albiflora' has gained theRoyal Horticultural Society'sAward of Garden Merit.[8]
Self-seeding freely inlawns andgardens, it can be considered aweed by some.Cleistogamous seed heads may also appear on short stems in late summer and early autumn.
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Viola sororia is a short-stemmed, herbaceous perennial plant that grows in well-drained and shady habitats.[5] This 15–25 centimeters (6–10 in) wide violet has glossy, heart-shaped leaves and are topped with purple flowers with white throats. The lower three petals are hairy and the stem of the flower droops slightly.[7] These flowers can be found in the woods, thickets, and near stream beds.[5]V. sororia can live and reproduce for more than 10 years.[9] Blooming in the spring and summer (April–August),Viola sororia can be found in colors of white, blue, or purple.[5]
Hairless common blue violets with purple flowers and bearded spurred petals have been variously calledViola sororia,Viola affinis, andViola pratincola.[10][11] In theChicago region, this hairless form is most frequently found in weedy areas such as old fields and lawns. Hairy purple violets with blue flowers have been called "true"Viola sororia and are rarely seen outside ofremnant wooded areas.[10]
A form with white flowers that have a purple center has been calledViola sororia f.priceana (Confederate violet).[citation needed]
Viola sororia has several named hybrids:[4]
Viola sororia is found primarily in forests and isinterfertile, meaning it is likely and able to breed with other closely relatedViola species.[9] The species grows on forest floors and can adapt to sunny or partly shady conditions.[7] The leaves develop in the early spring when the surrounding tree crowns are not fully closed.[12] When the forest canopy closes, the leaves continue to grow and develop.[12] Soils preferred byV. sororia are moist, rich, and well drained.[7]
Fritillary butterfly caterpillars, such as thegreat spangled fritillary andvariegated fritillary, are dependent on these and other plants in genusViola. The plants serve as food for wild turkeys, rabbits, deer, livestock, the mourning dove, the bobwhite, and the white-footed mouse.[13][14]
Native bees such as themason bees,sweat bees, and the violet specialistmining bee, visit theViola sororia plant for its nectar in the spring.[15] Butterflies are also known to pollinate the species.[5] These pollinated flowers result in a normal seed distribution like most flowering plants; however,Viola sororia produces seeds in the late summer from a process calledcleistogamy.[15] This means that it self-fertilizes inside the plant, without opening.[15] The seed capsules eventually turn upright, open, and shoot out their seeds as far as 2.7 meters (9 ft) away from the plant.[15]
Violets employmyrmecochory, which is the process of seed dispersal by ants. The seeds are coated with ant-attracting protein- and lipid-rich morsels, also known aselaiosomes. The ants then gather the seeds and take them back to their nests. When the coating is consumed by the ants, the seed is discarded into their waste piles and can germinate.[16]V. sororia has no known toxicities. It has a low fire tolerance,[17] and has no serious insect or disease problems. Its foliage usually declines in hot summers.[18]
Viola sororia is known as a wild violet that may be hard to control due to its sometime weedy nature. Halauxifen-methyl has shown promising results on hard-to-control weeds, includingViola sororia.[19]
Beyond its use as a common lawn and garden plant,Viola sororia has historically been used for food and for medicine.[citation needed] The flowers and leaves are edible, and some sources suggest the roots can also be eaten.[citation needed] TheCherokee have used it to treat colds and headaches.[citation needed]Rafinesque, in hisMedical Flora, a Manual of the Medical Botany of the United States of North America (1828–1830), wrote ofViola sororia being used by his American contemporaries for coughs, sore throats, and constipation.[citation needed]
Viola sororia can be used to decorate walkways and park areas.[5] It is used as a wildflower in lawns, though some considerViola sororia a weed despite its being a resource for pollinators[5] and importance as host plant to various fritillary butterflies, including the greater fritillaries in genusSpeyeria.
Viola sororia is high invitamins A andC.[7] The young leaves and flower buds can be eaten raw or cooked, or brewed for a tea.[20] It may also work as an anti-inflammatory and has been used topically for skin conditions.[20]Viola sororia is deer resistant.[7]
Viola sororia leaves and flowers are edible in moderation and also safe to plant around pets.[7]
V. sororia is thestate flower ofIllinois,Rhode Island,New Jersey, andWisconsin.[21] The genusViola is known as a symbol of love and modesty by poets such asSappho,William Shakespeare, andChristina Rossetti.[16] A French play that achieved popularity onBroadway in the late 1920s,The Captive, featured a lesbian character who won over her love interests with violets.[16][22] This inspired a violet fad among the play's supporters, and possibly a violet boycott among its detractors. It is the reason the violet is sometimes called "the lesbian flower".[22]
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