WildBristol.uk - Discovering Wildlife in Bristol

Violas of Britain and Ireland:

V. odorata var. imberbis

Flowers with pure white (occasionally violet) corolla and pinkish-purple spur, paler in colour than that of var. dumetorum; lateral petals lacking the tuft of hairs towards the inner end. Found in the southern half of Britain on chalk and limestone.

J. W. White:

var. imberbis Leighton, (Flora of Shropshire, p. 116), in which the white flowers have their lateral petals destitute of a hairy line or tuft, is so common with us that I have found fifty such plants in succession in various localities about Bristol. Leighton does not mention the fact that his variety is not restricted to white-flowered violets. There are a fair number of beardless flowers among the blue-flowered plants: in fact, about Clevedon, Miss Livett finds imberbis to be the prevalent form. When raised from seed imberbis has been found to strictly maintain its character.

Flora of Gloucestershire:

Var. imberbis Leight. 34. 3. Dymock, F. M. Day. 5. Abundant on the limestone hills and inland Lias soil near Bristol; a good variety, see S. M. Walters, ibid., p. 44.