WildBristol.uk - Discovering Wildlife in Bristol

Widespread but locally frequent throughout the Southern half of the UK. Very scattered elsewhere. Habitat includes: Damp shaded places such as woodland (particularly coppiced), hedgerows, sometimes at the base of damp shaded walls or fences etc. Flowers: March to June. Perennial. Identification: Purple spur/ same colour as the petals unlike the very similar Common Dog-violet which has a pale spur. Early Dog-violet also flowers a month earlier (March) than Common Dog-violet (April). But in micro climates Common Dog-violet can flower in March.

species aggregate:

Viola reichenbachiana/riviniana

Species:

Viola alba /
Viola arvensis
Viola biflora
Viola canina (ssp dehnhardtii) -
Viola cornuta
Viola declinata
Viola hirta -
Viola kitaibeliana
Viola labradorica -
Viola lactea
Viola lutea
Viola odorata -
Viola palustris
Viola pensylvanica //
Viola persicifolia
Viola reichenbachiana
Viola riviniana
Viola rupestris
Viola tricolor

species hybrid:

Viola canina x lactea
Viola canina x persicifolia = V. x ritschliana
Viola lutea x tricolor
Viola lutea x tricolor x altaica = V. x wittrockiana
Viola odorata x hirta = V. x scabra
Viola reichenbachiana x canina = V. x mixta
Viola riviniana x canina = V. x intersita
Viola riviniana x lactea
Viola riviniana x reichenbachiana = V. x bavarica
Viola rupestris x riviniana = V. x burnatii
Viola tricolor x arvensis = V. x contempta