Viola sororia

{{short description|Species of flowering plant in family Violaceae}} {{Speciesbox |image = Viola sororia in Wisconsin.jpg |image_caption = | status = G5 | status_system = TNC |status_ref=<ref>{{cite web|url=https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.143480/Viola_sororia|title=''Viola sororia''|website=NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data accessed through NatureServe Explorer|author=NatureServe|publisher=NatureServe|location=Arlington, Virginia|date=2 June 2023|access-date=24 June 2023}}</ref> |genus = Viola (plant) |species = sororia |authority = Willd. |synonyms = * ''Viola affinis'' Leconte * ''Viola chalcosperma'' Brainerd * ''Viola floridana'' Brainerd * ''Viola latiuscula'' Greene * ''Viola palmata'' var. ''sororia'' (Willd.) Pollard * ''Viola papilionacea'' Pursh * ''Viola priceana'' Pollard * ''Viola rosacea'' Brainerd * ''Viola septentrionalis'' Greene * ''Viola wilmattiae'' Pollard & Cockerell |synonyms_ref = <ref>{{ThePlantList |id=tro-33800484 |taxon=Viola sororia |authority=Willd.}}</ref><ref>{{ThePlantList |id=tro-50176323 |taxon=Viola sororia var. missouriensis |authority=(Greene) L.E.McKinney}}</ref><ref name="FNA" /> }} thumb|''Viola sororia'' herbarium specimen. '''''Viola sororia''''' ({{IPAc-en|v|ai|'|ou|l|@|_|s|@|'|r|o:r|i|@}} {{Respell|vy|OH|lə|_|sə|ROR|ee|ə}}),<ref name=":02">{{Cite web|title=Viola sororia (Common Blue Violet, Confederate Violet, Dooryard Violet, Florida Violet, Hooded Blue Violet, Hooded Violet, Meadow Violet, Missouri Violet, Purple Violet, Sister Violet, Violets, Wild Violet, Wood Violet, Woolly Blue Violet) {{!}} North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox|url=https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/viola-sororia/|access-date=2021-11-12|website=plants.ces.ncsu.edu}}</ref> known commonly as the '''common blue violet''', is a short-stemmed herbaceous perennial plant native to eastern North America. It is known by a number of common names, including '''common meadow violet''', '''purple violet''', '''woolly blue violet''', '''hooded violet''', and '''wood violet'''.<ref name=":02" />

This perennial plant is distributed in the eastern half of the United States, Canada, and a part of eastern Mexico.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Viola sororia {{!}} International Plant Names Index|url=https://ipni.org/n/869283-1|access-date=2021-11-18|website=ipni.org}}</ref> Its native habitats are rich, moist woods, and swamps located in the eastern half of the United States and Canada.<ref name=":22">{{Cite web|title=Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin|url=https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=VISO|access-date=2021-11-16 |website=www.wildflower.org}}</ref> Its cultivar 'Albiflora' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/46676/Viola-sororia-Albiflora-(Vt)/Details | title = Viola sororia 'Albiflora' (Vt) | publisher = Royal Horticultural Society | access-date = 25 August 2019}}</ref> Self-seeding freely in lawns and gardens, it can be considered a weed by some. Cleistogamous seed heads may also appear on short stems in late summer and early autumn.

== Description == alt=Common Blue Violet (Viola sororia) color variant|thumb|Common Blue Violet (''Viola sororia'') color variant ''Viola sororia'' is a short-stemmed, herbaceous perennial plant that grows in well-drained and shady habitats.<ref name=":02"/> This {{Convert|6–10|in|cm|order=flip|sp=us}} wide violet has glossy, heart-shaped leaves and are topped with purple flowers with white throats. The lower three petals are hairy and the stem of the flower droops slightly.<ref name=":22"/> These flowers can be found in the woods, thickets, and near stream beds.<ref name=":02"/> ''V. sororia'' can live and reproduce for more than 10 years.<ref name=":32">{{Cite journal |last1=Solbrig |first1=O.T. |last2=Newell |first2=Sandra J.|last3=Kincaid |first3=D.T. |date=July 1980 |title=The Population Biology of the Genus Viola: I. The Demography of Viola Sororia |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2259420 |journal=The Journal of Ecology |volume=68 |issue=2 |pages=521 |doi=10.2307/2259420 |jstor=2259420|bibcode=1980JEcol..68..521S |url-access=subscription }}</ref> Blooming in the spring and summer (April–August), ''Viola sororia'' can be found in colors of white, blue, or purple.<ref name=":02"/>

==Taxonomy== Hairless common blue violets with purple flowers and bearded spurred petals have been variously called ''Viola sororia'', ''Viola affinis'', and ''Viola pratincola''.<ref name=fotcr2017>{{cite book |last1=Wilhelm |first1=Gerould |author-link1=Gerould Wilhelm |last2=Rericha |first2=Laura |author-link2=Laura Rericha |date=2017 |title=Flora of the Chicago Region: A Floristic and Ecological Synthesis |publisher=Indiana Academy of Sciences}}</ref><ref name="miflora">{{Michigan Flora |genus=Viola |accessdate=2018-08-20}}</ref> In the Chicago region, this hairless form is most frequently found in weedy areas such as old fields and lawns. Hairy purple violets with blue flowers have been called "true" ''Viola sororia'' and are rarely seen outside of remnant wooded areas.<ref name="fotcr2017"/>

A form with white flowers that have a purple center has been called ''Viola sororia'' f. ''priceana'' (Confederate violet).{{cn|date=August 2023}}

''Viola sororia'' has several named hybrids:<ref name="FNA" /> *''Viola'' × ''bernardii'' (''Viola pedatifida'' var. ''pedatifida'' × ''V. sororia'') *''Viola'' × ''bissellii'' (''Viola cucullata'' × ''V. sororia'') *''Viola'' × ''cordifolia'' (''Viola hirsutula'' × ''V. sororia'') *''Viola'' × ''conjugens'' (''Viola sagittata'' var. ''sagittata'' × ''V. sororia'') *''Viola'' × ''insolita'' (''Viola pedatifida'' var. ''brittoniana'' × ''V. sororia'')

== Distribution and habitat == [[File:Viola septentrionalis 009.jpg|thumb|left|''Viola septentrionalis'', Sainte-Geneviève-de-Batiscan, Quebec, Canada]] ''Viola sororia'' is found primarily in forests and is interfertile, meaning it is likely and able to breed with other closely related ''Viola'' species.<ref name=":32"/> The species grows on forest floors and can adapt to sunny or partly shady conditions.<ref name=":22"/> The leaves develop in the early spring when the surrounding tree crowns are not fully closed.<ref name=":6">{{Cite journal |last1=Antlfinger |first1=Ann E. |last2=Curtis |first2=William F. |last3=Solbrig |first3=Otto T. |date=September 1985 |title=Environmental and Genetic Determinants of Plant Size in ''Viola sororia'' |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2408733 |journal=Evolution |volume=39 |issue=5 |pages=1053–1064 |doi=10.2307/2408733 |jstor=2408733 |pmid=28561509 |issn=0014-3820|url-access=subscription }}</ref> When the forest canopy closes, the leaves continue to grow and develop.<ref name=":6" /> Soils preferred by ''V. sororia'' are moist, rich, and well drained.<ref name=":22"/>

==Ecology== Fritillary butterfly caterpillars, such as the great spangled fritillary and variegated fritillary, are dependent on these and other plants in genus ''Viola''. The plants serve as food for wild turkeys, rabbits, deer, livestock, the mourning dove, the bobwhite, and the white-footed mouse.<ref>{{Illinois Wildflowers|savanna/plants/cm_violet |Common Blue Violet (Viola sororia sororia) |access-date=24 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Wheeler |first1=Justin |title=Plants for Pollinators: Violets |url=https://xerces.org/blog/plants-for-pollinators-violets |website=Xerxes.org}}</ref>

Native bees such as the mason bees, sweat bees, and the violet specialist mining bee, visit the ''Viola sororia'' plant for its nectar in the spring.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=The Native Plant Society of New Jersey|url=http://www.npsnj.org/articles/2018-poy-viola-sororia.html|access-date=2021-11-12|website=www.npsnj.org|archive-date=2021-11-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211112193906/http://www.npsnj.org/articles/2018-poy-viola-sororia.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Butterflies are also known to pollinate the species.<ref name=":02"/> These pollinated flowers result in a normal seed distribution like most flowering plants; however, ''Viola sororia'' produces seeds in the late summer from a process called cleistogamy.<ref name=":1" /> This means that it self-fertilizes inside the plant, without opening.<ref name=":1" /> The seed capsules eventually turn upright, open, and shoot out their seeds as far as {{convert|9|ft|m|sp=us|order=flip}} away from the plant.<ref name=":1" />

Violets employ myrmecochory, which is the process of seed dispersal by ants. The seeds are coated with ant-attracting protein- and lipid-rich morsels, also known as elaiosomes. The ants then gather the seeds and take them back to their nests. When the coating is consumed by the ants, the seed is discarded into their waste piles and can germinate.<ref name=":52">{{Cite web |last1=Nafici |first1=Saara |title=Weed of the Month: Common Blue Violet |date=13 May 2016 |url=https://www.bbg.org/news/weed_of_the_month_common_blue_violet |access-date=2021-11-16 |website=Brooklyn Botanic Garden |language=en}}</ref> ''V. sororia'' has no known toxicities. It has a low fire tolerance,<ref>{{Cite web |title=USDA Plants Database |url=https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=VISO|access-date=2021-11-18 |website=plants.usda.gov}}</ref> and has no serious insect or disease problems. Its foliage usually declines in hot summers.<ref name=":72">{{Cite web |title=Viola sororia - Plant Finder |url=https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=m820 |access-date=2021-11-30 |website=www.missouribotanicalgarden.org}}</ref>

==Uses== Beyond its use as a common lawn and garden plant, ''Viola sororia'' has historically been used for food and for medicine. Hildegard of Bingen proposed using it as a treatment for depression. <ref>https://archive.org/details/hildegardvonbing0000hild/mode/2up</ref> The English herbalist, John Gerard, described applications for violet as, “It has power to ease inflammation, roughness of the throat and comforteth the heart, assumageth the pains of the head, and causeth sleep.”<ref>https://collections.shakespeare.org.uk/search/library/83301119/view_as/grid/search/has_image:on--everywhere:gerard/page/1http:/collections.shakespeare.org.uk/search/library/83301119/view_as/grid/search/has_image:on--everywhere:gerard/page/1</ref>. The flowers and leaves are edible,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Field |first=Colin |date=2013-03-25 |title=Foraging for a feast along the Bruce Trail |url=https://cottagelife.com/outdoors/foraging-for-a-feast-along-the-bruce-trail/ |access-date=2025-06-16 |website=Cottage Life |language=en-US}}</ref> however, the roots are not edible.<ref>https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2017-06-07-embracing-common-blue-violet</ref> The Cherokee have used it to treat colds and headaches.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20190723145117/https://www.ajc.com/lifestyles/environment/wild-plants-once-widely-used-treat-human-maladies/EmDUssTfnIZiDq8Ju7ZAjP/</ref> Rafinesque, in his ''Medical Flora, a Manual of the Medical Botany of the United States of North America'' (1828–1830), wrote of ''Viola sororia'' being used by his American contemporaries for coughs, sore throats, and constipation.<ref>https://archive.org/details/mobot31753000788254/mode/2up</ref>

''Viola sororia'' can be used to decorate walkways and park areas.<ref name=":02"/> It is used as a wildflower in lawns, though some consider ''Viola sororia'' a weed despite its being a resource for pollinators<ref name=":02"/> and importance as host plant to various fritillary butterflies, including the greater fritillaries in genus Speyeria.

''Viola sororia'' is high in vitamins A and C.<ref name=":22"/> The young leaves and flower buds can be eaten raw or cooked, or brewed for a tea.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web |title=medicinal herbs: WOOLY BLUE VIOLET - Viola sororia |url=http://www.naturalmedicinalherbs.net/herbs/v/viola-sororia=wooly-blue-violet.php |access-date=2021-11-30 |website=www.naturalmedicinalherbs.net}}</ref> It may also work as an anti-inflammatory and has been used topically for skin conditions.<ref name=":10" /> ''Viola sororia'' is deer resistant.<ref name=":22"/>

== Toxicity == ''Viola sororia'' leaves and flowers are edible in moderation and also safe to plant around pets.<ref name=":22"/>

==Cultural significance== ''V. sororia'' is the state flower of Illinois, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and Wisconsin.<ref>[http://folio.legis.state.wi.us/cgi-bin/om_isapi.dll?clientID=18015686&hitsperheading=on&infobase=stats.nfo&jump=1.10&softpage=Document#JUMPDEST_1.10 2003-04 Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations: 1.10 State song, state ballad, state waltz, state dance, and state symbols.]{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The genus ''Viola'' is known as a symbol of love and modesty by poets such as Sappho, William Shakespeare, and Christina Rossetti.<ref name=":52" /> A French play that achieved popularity on Broadway in the late 1920s, ''The Captive'', featured a lesbian character who won over her love interests with violets.<ref name=":52" /><ref name=luu2021>{{cite web|url=https://botanicgardens.uw.edu/about/blog/2021/12/21/queer-botany-the-sapphic-violet/|title=Queer Botany: The Sapphic Violet|date=21 December 2021|access-date=24 June 2023|last=Luu|first=Thuy|website=University of Washington Botanic Gardens}}</ref> This inspired a violet fad among the play's supporters, and possibly a violet boycott among its detractors. It is the reason the violet is sometimes called "the lesbian flower".<ref name=luu2021/>

==Gallery== <gallery> Common Blue Violet (Viola sororia var. sororia) - Flickr - Jay Sturner.jpg|Flower VioletAlba.jpg|White flowering form Viola sororia "Freckles" 2010.jpg|''V. sororia'' 'Freckles' </gallery>

==References== {{Reflist|30em |refs= <ref name="FNA">{{eFloras|1|242417476|Viola sororia |first1= R. John |last1=Little |first2=Landon E. |last2=McKinney |volume=6}}</ref> }}

== Bibliography == {{refbegin|30em}} * {{cite web |last=WFO|author-link=World Flora Online|title=Viola L.|url=http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-4000040312 |website=World Flora Online |access-date=27 February 2020 |date=2019}} * {{cite web |last=POTWO|title=Viola L. |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30000540-2 |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |access-date=6 March 2020|ref={{harvid|POTWO|2020}}}} * {{Connecticut Plants|702 |link=1}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070529054952/http://ipm.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/viopp.htm ''Viola sororia''] from the Virginia Tech Weed Identification Guide * Duke, James. 1992. Handbook of Edible Weeds. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida. * [http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/2010/yang_paj/adaptation.htm ''Viola sororia'': University of Wisconsin-La Crosse] {{refend}}

==External links== * [https://www.paenflowered.org/apgii/malpighiales/violaceae/viola/viola-sororia Flora of Pennsylvania] {{commons category}} {{wikispecies}}

sororia Category:Symbols of Illinois Category:Symbols of New Jersey Category:Symbols of Rhode Island Category:Symbols of Wisconsin Category:Flora of Northern America Category:Plants used in traditional Native American medicine