''Viola odorata'' is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

in the family ''

Violaceae Violaceae is a family of flowering plants established in 1802, consisting of about 1000 species in about 25 genera. It takes its name from the genus '' Viola'', the violets and pansies. Older classifications such as the Cronquist system plac ...

'' 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 violet.

Description

''Viola odorata'' spreads with

stolon In biology, a stolon ( from Latin ''wikt:stolo, stolō'', genitive ''stolōnis'' – "branch"), also known as a runner, is a horizontal connection between parts of an organism. It may be part of the organism, or of its skeleton. Typically, animal ...

s (above-ground shoots). The plant reaches in height. The leaves and flowers are all in a basal rosette, and the leaf stalks have downward-pointing hairs. The leaves are kidney-shaped and reach long. The flowers are normally either dark violet or white and are scented. The style is hooked (and does not end with a rounded appendage). The

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

flowers mature when the plant is at a height of and a spread of .

Distribution and habitat

''Viola odorata'' is native to Europe south of Scandinavia, northwest Africa (Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia), Macaronesia, the Caucasus, Western Asia, and Kazakhstan. It has been introduced to the Americas, Scandinavia, southern and eastern Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. The species can be found near the edges of forests or in clearings; it is also a common "uninvited guest" in shaded lawns or elsewhere in gardens.

Subspecies

Two subspecies are accepted. *''Viola odorata'' subsp. ''odorata'' – entire range *''Viola odorata'' subsp. ''stolonifera'' – Balearic Islands

Chemistry

The plant contains the alkaloid violin, about 30 cyclotides, and triterpenoids, mostly as constituents of the essential oil.

Uses

Several cultivars have been selected for garden use, of which ''V. odorata'' 'Wellsiana' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. The sweet scent of this flower has proved popular, particularly in the late Victorian period, and has consequently been used in the production of many cosmetic fragrances and perfumes.Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin by Steffen Arctander, First published 1961, , There is some doubt as to whether the true extract of the violet flower is still used commercially in perfumes. It was still used in the early 20th century, but by the time Steffen Arctander was writing in the late 1950s and early 1960s, production had "almost disappeared". Violet leaf absolute, however, remains widely used in modern perfumery. The scent of violet flowers is distinctive with only a few other flowers having a remotely similar odor. References to violets and the desirable nature of the fragrance go back to classical sources such as Pliny and

Horace Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 BC – 27 November 8 BC), Suetonius, Life of Horace commonly known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Octavian). Th ...

when the name "Ion" was in use to describe this flower from which the name of the distinctive chemical constituents of the flower, the ionones, is derived. In 1923, W.A. Poucher wrote that the flowers were widely cultivated both in Europe and the East for their fragrance, with both the flowers and leaves being separately collected and extracted for fragrance, and flowers also collected for use in confectionery syrupPoucher, W.A. (1923). ''Perfumes Cosmetics and Soaps'', Vol. 2, Chapter V: Monographs on Flower Perfumes. and in the production of medicine. The leaves and flowers are edible. Real violet flower extract is available for culinary uses, especially in European countries. The French are known for their violet syrup, most commonly made from an extract of violets. In the United States, this French violet syrup is used to make violet scones and marshmallows. The plant contains a cannabinoid peptide called "vodo-C1" that acts in vitro as a selective CB2 receptor agonist without CB1 activity.

In culture

The violet flower was a favorite in ancient Greece and became the symbol of

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

. The scent suggested sex, so the violet was an emblematic flower of Aphrodite and of her son, Priapus, the deity of gardens and generation. Iamus was a son of

Apollo Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...

and the nymph Evadne. He was abandoned by his mother at birth. She left him lying in the Arkadian wilds on a bed of violets where he was fed honey by serpents. Eventually, he was discovered by passing shepherds who named him Iamus after the violet (''ion'') bed. The goddess Persephone and her companion Nymphs were gathering rose, crocus, violet, iris, lily, and larkspur blooms in a springtime meadow when she was abducted by the god Hades.

Gallery

Viola odorata4 ies.jpg Viola_odorata_whole.png, Form, with stolons visible VioletteBlanche.jpg, White ''V. odorata'' Viole.jpg

References

External links

*
The American Violet Society
{{Authority control odorata Flora of Europe Flora of Algeria Flora of the Caucasus Flora of Kazakhstan Flora of Morocco Flora of Tunisia Flora of Western Asia Flora of New Jersey Medicinal plants Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus