In nature, there are a lot of different forms of wild violets, which differ from garden and indoor plants in size, color of leaves and flowers. One of the representatives of the Violet family is dog violet, the photo of which is in front of you.
For what she received such a name is unknown. It is only clear that it is a literal translation of the Latin name into Russian. In the people, this plant is called like this: birch, exile-grass, core, violet, forest brother.
Dog violet: botanical description of the plant
The plant is interesting, though not too striking. This is a perennial 5-30 cm high. The rhizome is short. The flowers, like those of other violets, are five-membered. Petals are light purple or pale blue. There are several on one stem. Flowering continues from early spring to June. There are times when dog violet blooms again at the very end of summer.
Stem leaves with petioles, glabrous, sometimes slightly pubescent at the base. Basal foliage begins to grow only afterend of flowering. Leaves ovate or lanceolate, obtuse. Stipules fringed. Stems numerous, erect or ascending, without basal rosettes. The whole plant is slightly hairy, sometimes naked.
Dog violet is a myrmecophilous plant. After all, its seeds are carried away by ants (“mirmekos” in Greek) over long distances. The fruit ripens in June, when cracked, the twisted leaves scatter seeds, which are equipped with a special body that attracts ants.
Violet can be considered self-pollinating. This is a group of plants in which seed development occurs without an obvious flower, that is, it does not open. Violet has normal flowers in spring, but there are some that are not visible at all.
Dog violet: habitats
Like many other species of violets, this wild plant's favorite habitat is forest and edge biotopes. Its flowering can be observed in May, being at the edge of the forest or even in an open place along the banks of reservoirs.
Dog violet prefers to grow in a meadow, a dry sandy slope, in clearings, along roadsides, near water bodies. It is suitable for mineral-rich soils of shrubs and deciduous forests. Most often, this violet is found in non-chernozem regions.
Area of dog violets
Geography of the genus is very wide. Violets can grow in temperate areas, in the subtropics, in the tropics. With such a large range, all violets are very similar in selection.habitats. In our forests grows a species very similar to the fragrant violet - dog violet. Its general distribution is Atlantic Europe, the countries of Central Europe and Scandinavia, the Caucasus, the Northern Mediterranean. This plant is found everywhere in the European part of Russia, in Western and Eastern Siberia. The area of the dog violet is also Belarus, Ukraine, some regions of Asia.
Meaning and use of dog violets
Dog violet is often used in ornamental gardening. It decorates flower beds, borders, mixborders. She is planted on rocky hills.
Dog violet as a fodder crop is of little value. The main beneficial properties of the plant are used in medical practice and ornamental gardening.
The plant is rich in essential oils, salicylic acid. It contains anthocyanins and traces of alkaloids. All this made the canine violet a medicinal plant. The roots, stems and leaves of the plant, which are widely used by folk healers, have healing properties. In Western Europe, a decoction of the herb is used as an expectorant. Belarusian herbalists consider it useful to drink herbal tea for heart disease.
Dog violet (see photo of the plant below) is used in folk medicine as a laxative and diuretic, as well as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent. Water infusion is effective in the treatment of diseases of the throat and bronchi, its use is recommended for tumors. Preparations from the roots are used as a strong emetic. For skin itching and ulcers usearomatic violet oil.
Nature gives us many medicinal plants, dog violet is also on this huge list. We just have to learn about certain beneficial properties and use them for the benefit of he alth.
