Ontario
Weeds: Field violet
Table of Contents
- Name
- Other Names
- Family
- General Description
- Stems and Roots
- Leaves
- Flowers and Fruit
- Habitat
- Similar Species
- Related Links
Name: Field violet, Viola arvensis
Murr.,
Other Names: violette des champs, European
field pansy, Field pansy, Wild pansy, pensée des champs
Family: Violet Family (Violaceae)
General Description: Annual or possibly
living for two years, reproducing only by seed.
Photos and Pictures
Field violet, note 3-pointed open seedpod, lower centre.
Field violet. A. Seedling.
Field violet. B. Base of
young plant. C. Flowering plant.
Stems & Roots: Stems erect and
short or much-branched and somewhat sprading, up to 30cm (12in.) long,
somewhat fleshy or succulent, with or without fine hair.
Leaves: Leaves of seedlings and young
plants very small, with long stalks, rounded blades, a few shallow
teeth, and very small stipules; stem leaves of older plants alternate
(1 per node), larger, oval to oblong or nearly linear, all with a
few coarse rounded teeth; stipules (appendages at junction of leafstalk
and stem) of stem leaves large, resembling leaf blades, deeply dissected
with long thin, terminal lobe and several, narrow, shorter segments
on either side.
Flowers & Fruit: Flowers on long
thin stalks form axils of leaves, pale yellow or white and yellow,
resembling thsoe of the cultivated pansy but much small, about 1-1.5cm
(2/5-3/5in.) long, and with a very short spur (2mm, 1/12in.) at the
base of the lwoer petal; seedpods splitting into 3 divisions and scattering
numerous, small, brownish seeds. Flowers from early May to midsummer
and occasionally in autumn.
Habitat: Field violet occurs throughout
most of Ontario in gardens, cereal crops, pastures, abandoned fields
and waste places.
Similar Species: It is distinguished by
the small yellow flowers resembling a miniature pansy, the lowest
leaves rounded with very small stipules but upper leaves oblong and
with large, prominent, deeply dissected stipules so that the stem
appears to have tufts of tiny narrow leaves at each node.
Related Links
... on general Weed
topics
... on weed identification, order OMAFRA Publication 505: Ontario Weeds
... on weed control, order OMAFRA Publication 75: Guide To Weed Control
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