viola 2018,then 2019

[Véronique Macrelle]

with pleasure, Nicole

[Gerdk]

How to differentiate Viola alba from Viola odorata, Gerd?
 I have some white viola mats in my garden ... not really fragrant.

I would like to be sure that it is Viola odorata

Véronique - please have a look at the following link!

http://mikehackston.blogspot.de/2017/04/viola-odorata-in-introduction-to-family.html

Viola odorata has long  stolones[/u], leaves orbicular-reniform, deeply cordate, widest at about the middle, the tip rounded.
Viola alba has shorter) stolons, leaves ovate to triangular ovate and also deeply cordate at base but the tip is slightly pointed.
Both species are fragrant and closely related and  they interbreed.

Sorry - not easy (unfortunately the characteristics of the two species as noted in botanical literature are contradictoraly.

Gerd

[Karaba]

Viola alba and odorata have also different stipules : broad and elliptic-lanceolate in V. odorata, linear and thin in V. alba. You can have both stipules on this site : http://www.florealpes.com/comparaison.php?compar_code_1=violaalbadenar&compar_code_2=violettesuave
These caracteristics are useful to discriminate between these two species but be careful, there are some others. Suavis and hirta are the two other quite common in France but don't forget thomasiana, collina, pyrenaica which also have broad sepals !

[fermi de Sousa]

I grew these Viola arborescens from SRGC Seedex seed which germinated in early December 2017.
I was thrilled to see the first flower buds but no flowers eventuated - straight to seedpod,
cheers
fermi

[Gerdk]

Cleistogamy (seedset without building open - chasmogamic-flowers) isn't unusual with a lot of violets - even with Viola arborescens.
You'll have a lot of seeds for multiplication 

Gerd

[fermi de Sousa]

Thanks, Gerd.
I wondered if it was because we are going into Autumn and maybe they will actually form flowers in spring.
What do you think?
cheers
fermi

[Véronique Macrelle]

these Viola arborecens are already very large for a few months of culture, but I forgot that it is the beautiful season for you ..

most of my violets need to know a winter to induce the flowering of open flowers.

 Viola banksii can flower anytime, but it never makes me cleistogamous flowers, or even seeds.

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Véronique,
V. banksii was known for a long time as V. hederacea in Australia due to confusion between the species.
I've found it can spread very, very vigorously by runners or stolons - it totally over-ran a rock garden I made a few gardens ago - but I think it still sets seed.
I now only have the all blue V.hederacea 'Monga Magic' (I'm not sure it if it's actually V. banksii) - which I'm about to plant out - hopefully it won't run riot
cheers
fermi

[Véronique Macrelle]

I like it ! but I do not know if it is banksii or hederefolia
it is rustic to what temperature in your country?
here it resists in leaf until -7 ° C (greenhouse)
 Outside I have not yet tested a plant installed enough.


I always keep a specimen as a houseplant in winter: here it is:
the second photo, where it is well bloomed, dates from the summer

[fleurbleue]

I grow V. hederifolia too ; the flowers have more white on petals and seem higher than yours ; no runners but they sow themselves very freely in the garden and in neighbouring pots 

[Véronique Macrelle]

I had seeds of V. hederifolia from the exchange srgc this winter. we will see if it grows.

 V hederifolia is rustic in the garden ? and does it make cleistogames flowers ?
 if it does not make any runner, it's easy to differentiate it from V. banksii, finally.

V. banksii is not self-fertilized, it never makes seeds alone.

[Gerdk]

Thanks, Gerd.
I wondered if it was because we are going into Autumn and maybe they will actually form flowers in spring.
What do you think?
cheers
fermi

Fermi,
This species flowers regularly a second time in september/october in southern Spain - this may be induced by the beginning of the autumnal rains.
Here in cultivation I have open flowers in spring followed bei cleistogamous ones till autumn.
Germination is easy - i. e. it seeds around in the plunge material inside.

Gerd

[fleurbleue]

V. Hederifolia was hardy in Zone 7, near Lyon ; I have never paid attention so I can't tell if it had cleistogames flowers  or not 

[Véronique Macrelle]

Viola prionantha

[ruweiss]

Free flowering and very fragrant:
Viola chaerophylloides Beni Zuru