The Violet Family (Violaceae)
	Family Description	Plants in the Violet family are small herbs or shrubs, and include violets and pansies. They produce distinctive flowers, with 5 petals, four of which form the shape of a butterfly, with an extra petal at the base. Many have an attractive scent.
	Dog Violet Viola riviniana	The flowers of this short plant are a deep bluish violet colour.
	Habitat	Dog Violet can be found in a wide range of habitat types, including deciduous woodland, grassy heaths, sandy commons, old pastures and chalk downs. It prefers acidic soils.
	Special features	Unlike most violets, the flowers of the Dog Violet have no scent. The Dog Violet has heart-shaped leaves on long stalks.
	Reproduction	Insects fertilise the female ovules. The resulting fruit is a capsule, which splits open into three parts to release the seeds.
	Distribution	Seasonal The Dog Violet flowers from April to June, sometimes later. Geographical Throughout Britain.
	Folklore	A close relative of the Dog Violet, the Sweet Violet, has an attractive scent and was thought to be used by Aphrodite, the Goddess of love, and her son Priapus. People believed the Sweet Violet had cooling and soothing properties, so oil and syrup was made from the petals. We can still buy violet sweets and oils to this day.
	Fun Fact	The Dog Violet is known in Somerset as Blue Mice, because of the shape and colour of the flowers.