kingdom Plantae - plants »  divisio Magnoliophyta - flowering plants »  class Rosopsida - eudicots » order Malpighiales »  family Violaceae »  tribus Violeae > genus Viola > Viola sect. Viola  L. > Viola subsect. Rostratae Kupffer    

Viola lactea Sm. 

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Common name:  Pale Dog Violet 

Description:   Perennial herb, 4-20 cm. ; subglabrous; stems procumbent at base, then ascending, solitar y or few; foliage and stems often purplish tinged. Leaves alternate, blade l-3.5(-4)cm. lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, subacute, rounded to cuneate at base, broadest at about -g- distance from base to apex, shallowly crenate; stipules (except lower) large, middle * lanceolate, length of petiole, upper ones equalling or longer than petiole, coarsely and irregularl y dentate or fimbrio-serrate. Flowers solitary , erect, axillar y on long peduncles which bear sparsely toothed bracts on thei r bend; sepals lanceolate; appendages rather large; coroll a 10-20 mm. , milky or pale mauve, spur greenish white; petals lanceolate, acute, three or more times long as broad: spur short, obtuse. Capsule glabrous, acuminate, longer than broad. Seeds oval, dark brown - black, c.1.5 x 0.8mm. Not a very variable species, eithe r i n Britai n or on the continent. Most typica l populations have flower colour almost pure white, possibly the mauve tint s are the resul t of influence from other species, notably V. riviniana . Rchb. 

Distributional Range: Native Europe NORTHERN EUROPE: Ireland, United Kingdom SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: France, Portugal, Spain

Habitat:  This species, like so many others in the group, is a member of the widespread "atlantic " heath communities of western Europe, to which region it is also endemic. The eastern boundary o f V. lacte a seems to coincide fairly well with the 38° F January isotherm and is probably dependent on the winters being reasonably warm. Since it inhabits dry, acid , rather sterile soils , and such a combination is most commonly realised in the south and west, it seems likely that the distribution of this species is ultimately determined by the interation o f both climatic and soil factors . Matthews' (1955) considers the general picture to indicate tha t V. lactea may have migrated 'along the fringes of the Atlantic seaboard, where a former wider area of distribution may have undergone disintegration' . Brezales en suelo muy acido y pobre; 0-1500 m. Comarcas atlanticas europeas desde las islas Britanicas hacia el S. Zona cantabrica y galaica: mitad N de Portugal, hasta mas allà del tajo; y Donana, donde parece una rareza

References:

1. Castroviejo, S. et al., eds. 1989-. Flora iberica: plantas vasculares de la Peninsula Iberica e Islas Baleares.

2. Fernández Casado, A. 1984. Estudios sobre el género Viola L. en la península Ibérica I. Cariología. Fontqueria 5:26.

3. Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening

4. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.