Viola arvensis Murray

European Field Pansy; Field Violet

Herb

Annual

Vascular

European Field Pansy is an introduced herbaceous annual in the Violet family (Violaceae). It is native to Europe, Asia, and Africa. In Alabama it has been collected in scattered areas across the state. European Field Pansy occurs on roadsides, in pastures, and in lawns. It is an annual with a tap root. The roots have the odor of wintergreen when crushed. Stems are erect, branched, green in color, and glabrous or pubescent. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, ovate to lanceolate in outline, pubescent along the major veins on the lower side, and with coarsely toothed margins. The leaves are subtended by large palmately lobed stipules, with the central lobe lanceolate and nearly as long as the leaf blade. Flowers are solitary from the axils of the leaves. Each flower has 5 white to pale yellow petals. The lower petal has a dark yellow spot at its base and purple veins. The fruit is a capsule. European Field Pansy is occasionally included in “wildflower” seed mixes. European Field Pansy contains the peptide cycloviolacin O2 which has anti-cancer properties and is being investigated as a potential drug.—A. Diamond.

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Not Native

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