| Family: | Violaceae |
|---|---|
| Common name: | violet family [Zomlefer, pp. 112-114] |
| Diversity: | Worldwide: 22 genera; ~900 species U.S.: 2 genera PNW (Hitchcock & Cronquist): 1 genera |
| Flower -- Vegetative Features -- Economic Importance -- Flower Images-- Web Sites | |
| Flower | |
|---|---|
| K5 Co5 S5 P (3) | |
| Sexuality: | bisexual |
| Symmetry: | zygomorphic to actinomorphic |
| Inflorescence: | raceme or solitary in leaf axil |
| Calyx (sepals): | 5, separate, unequal |
| Corolla (petals): | 5, separate, unequal, large spurred lower petals |
| Androecium: | 5 stamens, short filaments, anthers coherent (=not fused) forming ring around gynoecium, lower stamen spurred with nectary |
| Gynoecium: | 3 carpels, united, superior ovary (=hypogynous), simple style and stigma, ovules have parietal placentation often |
| Fruit: | 3 valved capsule, sometimes explosively dehiscing |
| Other features: | showy flowers with nectar in spur, nectar guides on petals, cleistogamous flowers produced late in season that never open and are obligately self-pollinated seed often with caruncle (fleshy outgrowth) important for ant dispersal |
| Vegetative Features | |
|---|---|
| Leaves: | alternate or basal rosette, simple or sometimes lobed, stipulate |
| Life-history: | perennial |
| Habit: | herbs, shrubs, to small trees |
| Distribution & Ecology: | cosmopolitan, with herbs in temperate areas and trees and shrubs in tropical areas |
| Some Northwest Genera: | Viola violet Hybanthus green-violets (in U.S. but not NW) |
| Economic Importance | |
|---|---|
| Crops: | Viola odorata used for perfumes some medicinal plants |
| Ornamentals: | Viola violet, pansy |
| Weedy and pest species: | |
| Examples | Violaceae Viola |
|---|---|
| Violaceae Viola |
|
| Violaceae Viola |
|
| click on the genus name for a flower image | |
Links to Other Web Sites
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}