Violaceae . . . . . Violet family

Viola . . . . . . Violets

Choose between the following 6 Violets and 4 Pansies.

Violets:

V. odora

V. reichenbachiana

V. riviniana

V. canina

Sweet violet

Early dog violet

Common dog violet

Heath dog violet

V. lactea

V. palustris

Pale Dog violet

Marsh violet

Note that V. riviniana and V. reichenbachiana have a rosette of lvs, the other dog violets do not

Note that there are a number of other rare spp, e.g. V. rupestris (Teesdale violet) with hairy leaves and is rare on limestone in N En and V. hirta (Hairy violet) with hairy lvs and blue-violet fls

Pansies:

Field Pansy

Pansy

Mountain pansy

Dwarf pansy

V. cornuta

Horned Pansy

Viola arvensis . . . Field Pansy

Usually yellow/cream (c.f. V. tricolor which is larger and usually has some blue or purple), sepals as long as petals

Viola canina . . . Heath dog violet

V. canina has bluish flowers and yellowish spur; widely distributed

Viola cornuta . . . Horned violet

An alien scattered uncommonly esp. in NE Sc

Viola kitaibeliana . . . Dwarf pansy

A tiny plant with flowers often much <5 mm; very local in short turf by the sea Scillies and CI

Viola lactea . . . Pale dog violet

V. lactea is a local sp on dry heaths S & W from Anglesea to the New Forest and scattered in Ire; short pale spur and stipule of upper lf longer than petiole

Viola lutea . . . Mountain pansy

Can vary from yellow to purple; stipules at base of lf stalk like lobed lvs; Quite frequent on base-rich mountains

Viola odora . . . Sweet violet

Flowers early, with large leaves

Viola palustris . . . Marsh violet

Bogs, marshes and wet heaths, also on mountains in Ire and W & N of Br

Viola reichenbachiana . . . Early or wood dog violet

Straight unnotched spur darker than petals; woods and hedges; common in S Br and Ire but almost absent from Sc

Viola riviniana . . . Common dog violet

Very common over all BI; Note that V. riviniana (common dog violet) has overlapping petals and curved, creamy spur, notched at tip vs. straight, dark unnotched spur in V. reichenbachiana (wood dog violet)

Viola tricolor . . . Pansy

Common