White violet
Scientific name: Viola alba Besser
Family name: Violaceae
MORPHOLOGY
Habit and dimensions: a perennial herbaceous plant, reaching a maximum size of 15 centimeters.
Stem: elongated and slender stolons.
Leaves: basal in rosette, with a long petiole and ovate or heart-shaped blade. The apex can be rounded or pointed, while the margin is dentate. They have dense hairiness and persist even in the winter season.
Flowers: fragrant, with white or violet petals, appearing between January and April.
Fruits and seeds: sub-spherical capsules of light green or brownish-violet color, with three valves. The seeds are light brown in color.
DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT
A plant native to the Mediterranean basin, growing at the edges of woods, in clearings, meadows, and hedges, up to 1,000 meters above sea level.
USE
The species is used as a natural anti-inflammatory, as it has diuretic, emollient, and anti-toxic properties. It is also used to treat burns and inflammations. Note: before taking any plant-based product, whether medicinal or non-medicinal, for therapeutic or similar purposes, it is always advisable to consult your doctor beforehand.
Leaves and flowers are used in cooking to prepare salads.
INTERESTING FACTS
The specific epithet comes from the Latin “albus” (= white).
The seeds have a small appendage, called an elaiosome, rich in fatty substances that ants are fond of. The ants collect the seeds and carry them to their underground nests, where they then abandon them already prepared to germinate for the new season.
Photo: Free licensed by Saxifraga – Marijke Verhagen and Jan Willem Jongepier
