User:Nickevang13/Viola reichenbachiana
Viola reichenbachiana (also known as Viola reichenbachiana Jordan ex Boreau, early dog-violet, pale wood violet, slender wood violet, hedge violet, or wood dog violet) is a flower species of the Viola genus[1][2][3][4]. This species hybridises with Viola riviniana, the common dog-violet, to produce Viola × bavarica[5]. The plant is named after the 19th century botanist Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach[6]. It is a rhizomatous perennial that is widely known for its purple petals, and it typically resides along road banks or among other rich vegetation, as other wild pansies do[1][7]. Its name comes from its lack of scent, making it supposedly only fit for dogs[8][3].
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Description
[edit]Viola reichenbachiana is an herb that grows to be about 5 to 15 cm in height and anywhere from 10 to 50 cm in spread[3]. The leaf orientation is simple and grows alternately. The plant has wide, heart-shaped blades that have rounded, teeth-like ridges[1][3][7]. The leaves can be hairless or very slightly textured, and their tips may be pointed or hooked[3][7]. Its upper leaves tend to be smaller and darker in color[4]. Its leaf venation is typically 4 or 5 veins on either side of a main vein called the midrib[4].
The flower of Viola reichenbachiana is bisexual, containing both male and female reproductive structures[4]. It has 3 or 5 narrow, non-overlapping petals that are a signature dull purple[4]. The flower typically has 5 small, pointed sepals, 5 stamens, and 1 carpel[1]. These flowers can range from 1.5 to 2cm across[4]. They can be recognized by their star-like appearance due to the separated petals or their deep violet-blue spurs[3]. Pollination can occur via insects, self-pollination, or cross-pollination[4].
Its seeds have rather thick cotyledons to nourish the embryo, and the fruits that develop around them usually have 3 lobes[1]. The roots have many root hairs for absorption and grow rhizomatously, meaning they propagate through above-ground runners known as stolons[3][7].
Cultivation
[edit]Viola reichenbachiana is found throughout central Europe spanning all the way to parts of Asia around the Himalayan Mountains[7]. It resides in regions such as England, Scotland, Wales, North Africa, China, India, and Pakistan[7]. Its natural habitats include hardwood forests or other wooded areas with broad leaves[1]. It grows most successfully under maximum or partial sunlight and moderate watering, and the minimum temperature at which it can survive is -20 degrees Celsius[10][3]. It thrives in acidic to neutral fertile soil that is damp but well-drained[10][11]. They normally take approximately 3 years to reach maturity, and are grown mainly for the aesthetic of their distinct flowers[3]. Its flowers typically bloom between late February and May, and its fruits are produced from May to August[7].
The plant faces predation by slugs, snails, red spider mites, gall midges, and aphids, and it is also the food source for fritillary butterfly larvae[10][3][12][7]. Common diseases include the browning of petals and leaves due to anthracnose fungus, powdery mildew, stem rot, rust on leaf undersides, and smut pustules on leaf stalks that discharge spores[4][12].
- ^ a b c d e f “Early Dog Violet, Viola Reichenbachiana - Flowers.” NatureGate, 2021, https://luontoportti.com/en/t/2352/early-dog-violet.
- ^ Viola reichenbachiana Jord. ex Boreau in GBIF Secretariat (2022). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j “Early Dog Violet (Viola Reichenbachiana) - Plants.” Candide, https://candide.com/IE/plants/df534849-458c-4122-98bc-31d13f2f5891.
- ^ a b c d e f g h “Viola Reichenbachiana Jordan Ex Boreau: Species.” India Biodiversity Portal, IBP, https://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/262252.
- ^ Stace, C. A. (2010). New Flora of the British Isles (Third ed.). Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521707725.
- ^ “Viola Reichenbachiana: Early Dog-Violet.” UK Wildflowers, 2022, https://www.ukwildflowers.com/Web_pages/viola_reichenbachiana_early_dog_violet.htm.
- ^ a b c d e f g h “Viola Reichenbachiana - Early Dog-Violet.” FirstNature, 2022, https://www.first-nature.com/flowers/viola-reichenbachiana.php.
- ^ “Viola Riviniana - Common Dog-Violet.” FirstNature, 2022, https://www.first-nature.com/flowers/viola-riviniana.php#:~:text=Common%20Dog-violets%20%28referred%20to%20as%20Dog-violets%20because%20they,as%20late%20as%20the%20start%20of%20July.%20Uses.
- ^ “Viola Reichenbachiana Jord. Ex Boreau.” NBN Atlas, National Biodiversity Network Trust, 2021, https://species.nbnatlas.org/species/NHMSYS0000464896#classification.
- ^ a b c “Viola Reichenbachiana - RHS Gardening.” RHS Plant Finder & Selector, Royal Horticultural Society, https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/98441/viola-reichenbachiana/details.
- ^ “Viola Reichenbachiana - Jordan.” Plants for a Future Database, PFAF, https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Viola%2Breichenbachiana#:~:text=The%20plant%20is%20used%20as,sores%20and%20wounds%5B240%5D.
- ^ a b “Viola Diseases.” Old House Web, OHW Database, 2022, https://www.oldhouseweb.com/gardening/viola-diseases.shtml.