Viola palustris

Scientific profile

Viola palustris is a herbaceous perennial reaching about 10 cm in height. It does not develop woody tissue and forms a terrestrial, broad-leaved rosette from which slender stolons extend. The kidney-shaped leaves are mid-green and hairless, with a blade area averaging around 1060 mm². From May to June the plant produces typical violet flowers, pale lilac with darker veins, on slender stalks. After flowering, small capsules release seeds with a mean diaspore mass of approximately 0.73 mg. The species is a plant of cool, moist habitats with a preference for strongly acid, nutrient-poor soils. It tolerates only low levels of disturbance and grows best in partial shade. In Britain it is a native member of oligotrophic mire and wet heath communities, often appearing where water seeps through acid peat.