Sussex Violets

Arthur Hoare

These notes and photographs are only to be used as a guide. Confirmation should made using either Stace or another good field guide.

Viola riviniana
Common Dog-violet

Very common in woods and in grasslands. Note the pale spur which is curved up and notched at the end. Sepals pointed.

Picture of Viola riviniana (Common Dog-violet)
Viola riviniana (Common Dog-violet)

Viola reichenbachiana
Early Dog-violet

The Early Dog-violet usually appears about two weeks before the Common Dog-violet.

The spur is darker than the petals, straight and unnotched. Sepals pointed as V. riviniana but with small appendages. Drier woods, fairly common.

Picture of Viola reichenbachiana (Early Dog-violet)
Viola reichenbachiana (Early Dog-violet)
Picture of Viola reichenbachiana (Early Dog-violet)
Viola reichenbachiana (Early Dog-violet)

Viola odorata var. praecox
Sweet Violet

This Sweet Violet is early flowering often putting on a show as early as January.

Quite common usually found in shady hedgerows, hardly ever far from habitation. The sepals are blunt.

Picture of Viola odorata var. praecox (Sweet Violet)
Viola odorata var. praecox (Sweet Violet)

Viola odorata var. imberbis
Sweet Violet

Petals White (sometimes splashed pinkish-purple). Lateral petals not bearded. Spur pinkish-purple. Sepals, blunt, leaves roundish.

Picture of Viola odorata var. imberbis (Sweet Violet)
Viola odorata var. imberbis (Sweet Violet)
Picture of Viola odorata var. imberbis (Sweet Violet)
Viola odorata var. imberbis (Sweet Violet)

Viola odorata var. dumetorum
Sweet Violet

Petals white (sometimes splashed purple). Lateral petals usually bearded. Spur violet-purple. Sepals blunt.

Picture of Viola odorata var. dumetorum (Sweet Violet)
Viola odorata var. dumetorum (Sweet Violet)
Picture of Viola odorata var. dumetorum (Sweet Violet)
Viola odorata var. dumetorum (Sweet Violet)

Viola odorata var. subcarnea
Sweet Violet

Petals, pinkish-purple throughout. Lateral petals usually not bearded. Spur pinkish-purple.

Picture of Viola odorata var. subcarnea (Sweet Violet)
Viola odorata var. subcarnea (Sweet Violet)
Picture of Viola odorata var. subcarnea (Sweet Violet)
Viola odorata var. subcarnea (Sweet Violet)

Viola hirta
Hairy Violet

Pale violet-blue, blunt spur, sepals blunt. Calcareous grassland and scrub. Leaves and stems hairy.

Picture of Viola hirta (Hairy Violet)
Viola hirta (Hairy Violet)

Viola palustris
Marsh Violet

Pale lilac flowers with purple lines, kidney-shaped leaves, blunt sepals and spur. Acid bogs and marshes. Spreads vegetatively, often without flowers. Becoming scarce due to loss of habitat.

Picture of Viola palustris (Marsh Violet)
Viola palustris (Marsh Violet)

Viola canina
Heath Violet

Flowers slate blue, spur yellow. Leaves narrow lance shaped. Rare on heathy ground.

Picture of Viola canina (Heath Violet)
Viola canina (Heath Violet)

Viola arvensis
Field Pansy

Still a common plant in arable fields and waste places. Often found with purple blotches. Flower size is very variable from 8-20mm.

Picture of Viola arvensis (Field Pansy)
Viola arvensis (Field Pansy)

Viola tricolor subsp. tricolor
Wild Pansy

Not a common plant and becoming rarer. Once found as a corn field weed but not seen for a number of years. Note the upper petals do not overlap.

Picture of Viola tricolor subsp. tricolor (Wild Pansy)
Viola tricolor subsp. tricolor (Wild Pansy)

Viola x wittrockiana
Garden Pansy

This escape from cultivation is often found in the wild but can easily be identified by the overlapping upper petals.

Picture of Viola x wittrockiana (Garden Pansy)
Viola x wittrockiana (Garden Pansy)

This list is by no means comprehensive, there are a few hybrids to be found including:
V. riviniana x reichenbachiana = V. x bavarica
V. riviniana x canina = V. intersita
V. odorata x hirta = V. scabra

Also a number of subspecies of the more common species:
V. riviniana subsp. minor
V. hirta subsp. calcarea

It would be nice if V. lactea could be re-found in its old locations.

 

March 2012