Wild Pansy

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Johnny-jump-up
• heart's-ease
• ladies'-delight
• three-coloured violet
• Heartsease
• Pansy
• Wild Pansy
• European wild pansy
• field pansy
• love-in-idleness
• miniature pansy

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Mnemion tricolor
• Jacea tricolor

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, known as Viola tricolor, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. Within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae, it is categorized under the order Malpighiales. It is further classified into the family Violaceae and the genus Viola.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific distribution across the northern regions of Europe. In the territory of Denmark, it can be found growing in various habitats. Its presence is also documented throughout Northern Europe in Finland and the Faroe Islands. Additionally, the species is known to inhabit the landscape of Great Britain. Finally, its range extends further north to include the island of Iceland.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Viola tricolor is characterized by a broad altitudinal distribution, spanning from sea level up to an elevation of 3000 m AMSL. This species thrives in diverse environments, primarily occupying dry meadows, as well as the margins and openings of both mixed and coniferous woods. While it prefers these sunlit or partially shaded transitional zones, it is also occasionally found in open deciduous woods and alder groves. Additionally, it exhibits a colonizing nature, frequently appearing as a weed in fallow fields.

Elevational range max:

3000 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

dry meadows, margins and openings of mixed and coniferous woods, rarely in open deciduous woods, alder groves, as weed in fallow fields

Life history

The life history of Viola tricolor is characterized by its classification as an annual plant, completing its biological cycle within a single growing season. As a therophyte, it survives unfavorable environmental conditions primarily through the production of seeds rather than maintaining persistent vegetative structures above ground. This life form strategy allows it to rapidly colonize disturbed or open habitats. Regarding its foliage and seasonal persistence, the plant is categorized as evergreen in its physiological tendency to maintain green tissue, though its practical lifecycle is governed by its annual nature.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

therophyte

Lifecycle :

annual

Morphology

The morphology of Viola tricolor is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb and forb. This terrestrial plant is independent, functioning neither as a parasite nor as an epiphyte. It exhibits a self-supporting climbing habit, lacking the characteristics of a vine or liana, and possesses an ascending shoot orientation. In terms of stature, the plant is relatively low-growing, with a height that ranges from a minimum of 0.04 m to a maximum of 0.8 m, maintaining an average plant height of approximately 0.233 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

0.8 m

Plant height mean:

0.233333333333333 m

Plant height min:

0.04 m

Shoot orientation :

ascending

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Viola tricolor is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, indicating its reliance on the standard Calvin cycle for carbon fixation. As a non-carnivorous species, it derives all necessary nutrients from the soil rather than through the capture of prey. Its vegetative morphology is defined by lanceolate leaf forms, which exhibit significant variability in dimensions; the leaf length ranges from a minimum of 1 cm to a maximum of 4 cm, with a mean leaf length of 2.5 cm. This variation is reflected in the leaf surface area, which maintains a mean size of 2.4925 cm². Furthermore, the plant demonstrates a mean Specific Leaf Area (SLA) of 294.035 cm²/g, a physiological metric that describes the efficiency of its leaf tissue in terms of surface area relative to its dry mass.

Carnivory :

non-carnivorous

Leaf form :

lanceolate

Leaf length max:

4 cm

Leaf length mean:

2.5 cm

Leaf length min:

1 cm

Leaf size mean:

2.4925 cm²

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Specific Leaf Area (SLA) mean:

294.035 cm²/g

Reproduction

The reproduction of Viola tricolor is characterized by a flowering period that typically commences in April and continues through August. The plant produces distinct blue flowers, which range in length from a minimum of 3.5 cm to a maximum of 6 cm. The pollination process is primarily biotic, specifically utilizing an insect-based pollination syndrome to facilitate fertilization, although self-fertilization is also present. Following successful pollination, the plant develops a capsule-type fruit that is dehiscent in nature. These fruits vary in size, with an average length of 0.9 cm (ranging from 0.8 cm to 1.2 cm). Within these capsules, the seeds are produced with a consistent length of 1.5 mm. The seeds are quite small, possessing a mean mass of approximately 0.00066259275 g, with values ranging from a minimum of 0.0005 g to a maximum of 0.00142 g. Dispersal of the seeds is categorized as anthropochorous, and notably, asexual reproduction is absent in this species.

Dehiscence :

dehiscent

Dispersal syndrome :

anthropochorous

Flower colour :

blue

Flower length max:

6 cm

Flower length min:

3.5 cm

Flowering time :

Apr

Flowering time :

Aug

Fruit length max:

1.2 cm

Fruit length mean:

0.9 cm

Fruit length min:

0.8 cm

Fruit type :

capsule

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Reproduction asexual :

absent

Seed length mean:

1.5 mm

Seed mass max:

0.00142 g

Seed mass mean:

0.00066259275 g

Seed mass min:

5e-04 g

Self fertilization :

present

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Viola tricolor has 42 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Violanthin, 15-cis-Violaxanthin, Antioxidants, Auroxanthin, Cyclic peptides.

Violanthin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Acta pharmaceutica Sinica. B

15-cis-Violaxanthin

1. Dr. Duke

Antioxidants

1. Avicenna journal of phytomedicine

Auroxanthin

1. Dr. Duke

Cyclic peptides

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

D-glucose

1. Dr. Duke

EO

1. Dr. Duke

Flavonoids

1. BMC complementary medicine and therapies

Galacturonic acid

1. Dr. Duke

Gaultherin

1. Dr. Duke

Activities

Viola tricolor has 307 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Cytotoxic, Antiinflammatory, Antioxidant, Antiprotozoal, 11B-HSD-Inhibitor.

Cytotoxic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of natural products
3. BioMed research international

Antiinflammatory

1. Dr. Duke
2. Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. BMC complementary medicine and therapies

Antiprotozoal

1. Dr. Duke
2. BMC complementary medicine and therapies

11B-HSD-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

5-HETE-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

5-HT-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

5-Lipoxygenase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

ACE-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

ATPase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Medicinal Uses

Viola tricolor has 22 reported medicinal uses identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include Seizures, acne vulgaris, asthma, atherosclerosis, brain ischemia.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations