Viola riviniana

Viola riviniana
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Violaceae
Genus: Viola
Species: V. riviniana
Binomial name
Viola riviniana
Rchb.

Viola riviniana, the common dog-violet, is a species of the genus Viola native to Eurasia and Africa.[1] It is also called wood violet[1] and dog violet.[1] It is a perennial herb of woodland ridges, grassland and shady hedge banks. It is found in all soils except acid or very wet.

It is a perennial, flowering from April to June.

Viola riviniana was voted the county flower of Lincolnshire in 2002, following a poll by the wild plant conservation charity Plantlife.[2]

Description

Its leaves are usually hairless.

Wildlife value

It is the foodplant of the Pearl bordered fritillary, Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Silver-washed Fritillary and High Brown Fritillary butterfly.

Similar species

Hybrids

This species hybridises with early dog-violet (V. reichenbachiana) to produce Viola × bavarica.

Further reading

References

External links

Media related to Viola riviniana at Wikimedia Commons

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