E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Viola arvensis Murray
European field pansy
Violaceae (Violet family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Jamie Fenneman  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #13397)

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Distribution of Viola arvensis
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Species Information

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General:
Annual herb from a taproot, without stolons; stems erect to prostrate, 5-35 cm tall/long.
Leaves:
Basal leaves egg-shaped to lanceolate, coarsely wavy-toothed, the blades 1-3 cm long, hairy, the stalks 0.5-3 cm long; stem leaves similar; stipules leaflike, 8-14 mm long, deeply lobed, the lobes 5-9, the terminal lobe largest.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of single, axillary flowers; petals 5, creamy white or pale yellow with tinges of blue, the lower petal 7-15 mm long including the 2- to 4-mm long spur, the spur not pouched; sepals 5, broadly lanceolate, equal to or slightly shorter than the petals; style heads densely short-bearded.
Fruits:
Capsules, globose, smooth, 5-7 mm long; seeds brown.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Mesic to dry waste places and roadsides in the lowland zone; infrequent in S BC; introduced from Europe.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Viola arvensis

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Minimum

Average

Maximum

Elevation (metres) 1902 1902 1902
Slope Gradient (%) 35 35 35
Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]
100 100 100
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
2 2 2
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
A
Number of field plots
 species was recorded in:
1
Modal BEC Zone Class
ESSF
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in: ESSF(1)

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is not evaluated, unknown or variable.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Viola tricolor var. arvensis (Murray) Boiss.

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Additional Photo Sources

General References