wood violet
Viola odorata · Accepted scientific name
Scientific literature: Very Extensive (576 studies) · ★★★★★
Wood violet, scientifically known as Viola odorata, is a cherished perennial celebrated for its fragrant, delicate purple blooms. Beyond its aesthetic charm, this medicinal plant has a long history of use in traditional herbalism to soothe respiratory ailments, reduce inflammation, and support skin health through its potent bioactive compounds.
- Family
- Violaceae
- Native range
- Europe
- Parts used
- Leaf · Flower
- Common names
- English Violet · March Violet · 5 more
- Scientific synonyms
- Viola Hirta Subsp. Odorata · Viola Hirta Var. Odorata
Names
Common Names
- English violet
- March violet
- florist's violet
- garden violet
- sweet blue violet
- sweet violet
- common violet
Regional and Traditional Names
Spanish:
- Viola floribunda
- Viola propinqua
- Viola de olor
- Viola martii ssp. odorata
- Viola martia
- Violeta aromática
- Viola comun
- Viola tenerrima
- Violeta purpúrea
- Viola común
- Violeta aromatica
- Viola consimilis
- Violeta blanca
- Viola sulfurea
- Viola olorosa
- Viola wiedemannii
- Viola martii ssp odorata
- Viola gonzaloi
- Violeta acopada
- Violeta olorosa
- Viola sulphurea
- Viroletas
- Violeta doble
- Viola dumetorum
- Violeta verdadera
- Viola suavissima
- Violeta de olor o comun
- Viola sarmentosa
- Violetones
- Violeta común
- Viola subcarnea
- Viola jucunda
- Violeta de olor
- Violeta comun
- Violeta de olor o común
- Violeta purpurea
- violeta
- alhelí
- violeta de jardín
- violetas
German:
- Duftveilchen
- März-Veilchen
- Wohlriechendes Veilchen
- Märzveilchen
- März-Veilchen
- Wohlriechendes Veilchen
French:
- Violette odorante
- violette odorante
- violette odorante
Scientific Names
Accepted name
Viola odorataSynonyms
- Viola hirta subsp. odorata
- Viola hirta var. odorata
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is ordered under Malpighiales and categorized in the family Violaceae. Ultimately, it is identified by the genus Viola.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Malpighiales | WCVP |
| Family | Violaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Viola | WCVP |
Distribution
This plant, Viola odorata, exhibits a specific presence across several regions in Northern Europe. In the British Isles, it can be found growing throughout Great Britain and Ireland. Moving further north, the species is also distributed across the Scandinavian Peninsula. Specifically, it inhabits the landscapes of Norway and Denmark. Additionally, its geographical range extends into the northernmost territories of Finland.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Europe | Denmark | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Finland | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Great Britain | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Ireland | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Norway | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Sweden | WCVP |
| Middle Europe | Austria | WCVP |
| Middle Europe | Belgium | WCVP |
| Middle Europe | Czechia-Slovakia | WCVP |
| Middle Europe | Germany | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, Viola odorata, is a versatile medicinal herb where various components offer therapeutic benefits. The fragrant, violet-colored flowers are frequently used to create aromatic infusions, while the heart-shaped leaves can be utilized in topical applications or herbal preparations. Deep within the soil, the roots serve as a potent source of medicinal compounds, often harvested for their specific healing properties. In many traditional practices, the whole plant is collected to ensure a complete profile of its bioactive constituents, and the tiny seed capsules are also noted for their role in the plant's reproductive cycle and potential medicinal utility.| Plant Part | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| leaf | Journal of natural products (and other 5 sources) | ★★★☆☆ |
| flower | Journal of natural products (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| root | Journal of natural products (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| seed | Phytotherapy research : PTR (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Viola odorata has 68 reported phytochemicals identified across 13 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, RUTIN, Saponins, Coumarins, cycloviolacin O2.
| Chemical | Supporting sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Flavonoids | 4 supporting sources | ★★☆☆☆ |
| RUTIN | 3 supporting sources | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Saponins | 3 supporting sources | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Coumarins | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cycloviolacin O2 | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| kaempferol | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| methyl salicylate | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| quercetin | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 2,6-Nonadien-1-ol | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 2,6-nonadien-1-al | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Flavonoids
- Lipids in health and disease
- Journal of pharmacy & bioallied sciences
- Phytotherapy research : PTR
- Scientific reports
RUTIN
- Dr. Duke
- Journal of pharmacy & bioallied sciences
- Scientific reports
Saponins
- Dr. Duke
- Lipids in health and disease
- Phytotherapy research : PTR
Coumarins
- Lipids in health and disease
- Journal of pharmacy & bioallied sciences
cycloviolacin O2
- Journal of natural products
- Frontiers in plant science
kaempferol
- Dr. Duke
- Journal of pharmacy & bioallied sciences
methyl salicylate
- Dr. Duke
- Journal of pharmacy & bioallied sciences
quercetin
- Dr. Duke
- Journal of pharmacy & bioallied sciences
2,6-Nonadien-1-ol
- Dr. Duke
2,6-nonadien-1-al
- Dr. Duke
Activities
Viola odorata has 367 reported activities identified across 13 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Antihypertensive, Cytotoxic, Anticancer, Antimalarial.
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Antibacterial | Dr. Duke (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antihypertensive | Dr. Duke (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Cytotoxic | Dr. Duke (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Anticancer | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antimalarial | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antioxidant | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antipyretic | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Diuretic | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Analgesic | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiinflammatory | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Viola odorata has 52 reported medicinal uses identified across 13 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include fever, insomnia, cough, dyspnea, headache.
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| fever | Annales pharmaceutiques francaises (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| insomnia | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| cough | Phytotherapy research : PTR (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| dyspnea | Phytotherapy research : PTR (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| headache | Phytotherapy research : PTR (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| inflammation | Journal of pharmacy & bioallied sciences (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Bacillus subtilis | Bioinformatics and biology insights (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| COVID-19 | Infection and drug resistance (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Escherichia coli | Bioinformatics and biology insights (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Klebsiella pneumoniae | Inflammopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Preparations
| Preparations | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| plant extract | Lipids in health and disease (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Violet oil | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Water and ethanol extracts | Bioinformatics and biology insights (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| alcoholic and hot water extracts | Daru : journal of Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| aqueous extract | Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| aqueous extracts | Turkiye parazitolojii dergisi (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| chloroform-soluble extracts | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| hexane-soluble extracts | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| hydro-alcoholic extract | Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research : IJPR (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| leaves and seed extracts | Phytotherapy research : PTR (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |