
Name  Sepals 
blunt Spur Colour Leaf Stipule Run-
ners Velve-
ty Scent Ro-
sette Stem Soil 
Viola palustris L.  778.1 U  Blunt     Kidney Lance, 
occ. Fine 
teeth 
-  +/- -  -  -   Marshy 
Viola odorata L. 774 U  short, 
hooked Vari-
alble,  
white 
centre 
Oval, all of 
same year Oval, 
often 
toothed 
+ 
root-
ing, 
spring 
+ + -    Neutral/
lime 
Viola hirta   775.4 U  Deep 
violet  Elongated 
spade, hairy Lan-
cetoothe
d 
-  +++ -  +    Path 
edges 
Viola alba  775.5 U      Spade, 
rounded tip Lance, 
long 
hairs 
+ (non
-
root-
ing) 
-  + + + Shady 
Viola suavis  .775.55 U  F. long  Spade Lance, 
deeply 
fringed 
+ 
Short 
thick 
-  + +  -  Shade to 
rocks 
Name  Sepals 
pointed Spur Colour Leaf Stipule Run
ners Velve-
ty Scent Ro-
sette Stem Soil 
Viola jordanii  775.8 >      Large, long, 
sl. cordiform V. long, 
deeply 
cut 
-  -  -  -  +++ Dry 
Viola canina  776 
 >      Spade, long-
ish or wide Toothed  -  +/-  -  -  +++ Acid 
Viola riviniana  .777 >  Short  Spade, round-
ed tip 
Long stalk 
Lance 
shaped, 
toothed 
-  + -  + +++/
++++ Dry 
Viola reichenbachiana  
777.1 >  Thin, 
straight,  Narrow spade Pointed, 
v. 
toothed 
-  + -  + + Shady 
Viola mirabilis 777.3 >, occ. 
maroon 
White    Oval, cordi-
form, often 
cornet 
  -  Single 
line of 
hairs 
+ +  -  Lime 
Viola rupestris  778 > 
 
Short, Vio-
letpale 
blue or 
white 
Spade Oval 
lance, +/
- teeth 
-  ++ -  + + Lime 
Name  Sepals Colour Spur Vel-
vety Leaf Stipule Runners Sc
ent Rosette Soil 
Viola tricolor 783 Pointed White,+B-V+  yel-
low, or B-violet, Y Short Y/N May be in-
cised. lance Pinnate, long 
end lobe N N N, Stem Acid/
neutral, 
fields 
Viola arvensis  784  V. long W (+/-C,V) small short N Long, deep-cut Pinnate, long 
end lobe N N N, long 
stem Neutral/
limeField
s 
Viola lutea subsp. 
sudetica  785 Toothed 
pointed Y, V, YV long Y/N Oval/oblong, 
deeply toothed Pinnate, equal 
end lobe Slender 
creeping  N N, long 
stem Dry, 
acid/lime 
Violets—lateral petals pointing down. Flowers directly from rootstock, sepals blunt 
Violets—lateral petals pointing down. Flowers from short stems (not rootstock), 
Pansies— Lateral petals upwards, broad lower lip, often multicoloured, pansy leaves (often divided)