A Variety of Violets

sweet violet
Viola odorata var. imberbis    Photo: Bob Ellis

An abundance of Sweet Violets Viola odorata adorned the roadsides throughout a couple of tetrads to the east of Watton.

Most common were the white-flowered var. dumetorum with a dark spur and ‘beard’ (tuft of hairs towards the inner end of the lateral petals), hidden amongst these were another white-flowered variety var. imberbis with pure white flowers, a lighter spur and no beard.

sweet violet
Viola odorata var. dumetorum   Photo: Jo Parmenter

We also found the more typical purple-flowered var. odorata and a few patches of a paler purple-flowered form lilacina.

Janet Higgins
17.03.2019