Viola alba Bess subsp. dehnhartii (Ten.) Becker

Spice In the field

Family: VIOLACEAE

Genus: Viola

Catalan common name: Viola. Viola boscana. Viola d'olor. Violeta. Violeta de la Mare de Déu.

Spanish common name: Violeta.

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castelló. Girona. Lleida. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Mediterranean

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Hemicryptophyte.

Habitats: Oakforest. Holm oak forest of the Serra de Tramuntana.

Characteristics: A perennial herb with a subterraneous rhizome. Leaves are heart-shaped with a toothed margin. Flowers are violet in colour. Lives in shady areas of the Serra de Tramuntana. Can be mistaken for Viola jaubertiana, a species endemic to Mallorca, but can be distinguished from one-another as species has the basal portion of this latter species is very open while Viola alba has two well developed auricles that almost completely enclose the base. Flowers from the end of the winter and during the spring.