Dog violet is the common name for various species of the plant genus ''
Viola
The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...
'' with unscented
flower
Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...
s. The term arose to differentiate them from the scented
sweet violet
''Viola odorata'' is a species of flowering plant in the family ''Violaceae'' native to Eurasia. The small hardy herbaceous perennial is commonly known as wood violet, sweet violet, English violet, common violet, florist's violet, or garden viol ...
. Species so named include:
*''
Viola canina'' – heath dog violet
*''
Viola labradorica
''Viola labradorica'', commonly known as alpine violet, American dog violet, dog violet or Labrador violet, is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant. It is native to Greenland, eastern Canada, and the eastern United States. The plant sold as '' ...
'' (
syn. ''V. conspersa'') – American dog or alpine violet
*''
Viola reichenbachiana
''Viola reichenbachiana'', also known as the early dog-violet, pale wood violet, slender wood violet, hedge violet, or wood dog violet, is a species of flowering plant in the ''Viola'' genus.“Early Dog Violet (Viola Reichenbachiana) - Plants.� ...
'' – early dog violet
*''
Viola riviniana
''Viola riviniana'', the common dog-violet, is a species of flowering plant in the family Violaceae, native to Eurasia and Africa. It is also called wood violet and dog violet. It inhabits woodland edges, grassland and shady hedge banks. It is ...
'' – common dog violet
The roots and seeds of this plant are toxic and should not be eaten.
A number of species in the genus ''
Erythronium
''Erythronium'', the fawn lily, trout lily, dog's-tooth violet or adder's tongue, is a genus of Eurasian and North American plants in the Liliaceae, lily family, most closely related to tulips. The name Erythronium derives from Ancient Greek () ...
'' in the family
Liliaceae
The lily family, Liliaceae, consists of about 15 genera and 610 species of flowering plants within the order Liliales. They are monocotyledonous, perennial, herbaceous, often bulbous geophytes. Plants in this family have evolved with a fai ...
are sometimes referred to as "dog's-tooth violet".
{{plant common name
Viola (plant)