Sweet violet (Viola odorata) grows in hedges and woodland
over most of the British Isles.
It is a stemless plant, with the heart-shaped leaves forming
a rosette at the base and the flowers rising on long stalks. The plant hugs the
ground, being less than three inches (six centimetres) in height. It is a
creeping plant, with runners growing from the rosette and roots.
The flowers are bluish-violet or white. They appear from
January to April. The fruit is a hairy globular capsule that stays closed until
after it has touched the ground.
Sweet violet is one of several British species of violet but
it is the only one that has scented flowers. These were formerly used to mask
smells in cottages and churches by being strewn on the floor, although the
scent of the sweet violet flower does not last long. The trick that the plant
plays is that it produces a substance called ionine that has the effect of
dulling the sense of smell – one may not be able to smell the violet for long,
but neither can one smell anything else! Fortunately, the effect is not
long-lasting and one’s normal faculties are restored soon after leaving the
violets behind.
© John Welford
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