What is the family the birds-foot violet come from?

Viola pedata

Common name: Bird's foot violet Family: Violaceae

Author: L. Botanical references: 200

Synonyms:

Known Hazards: None known

Range: Eastern N. America - New York to Wisconsin and south to Florida and eastern Texas.

Habitat: Dry rocky banks, in open deciduous woods on well-drained soils and on the edges of ditches in acid sandy soils[187].

Plants For A Future Rating (1-5): 2



Other Possible Synonyms: From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.

V. pedata var. concolor[B,P] V. pedata var. lineariloba[B,P] V. pedata var. ranunculifolia[B,P] V. populifolia[P] V. variabilis[P]

Other Common Names: From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.

Bird-foot Violet [B,H,L], Birdfoot Violet [S,P], Birdsfoot Violet [S], Violet, Birdsfoot [S],

Epithets: From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets

pedata = foot like;

Other Range Info: From the Ethnobotany Database

Us



Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 0.05m by 0.08m . It is hardy to zone 4. It is in flower from May to June. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. We rate it 2 out of 5 for usefulness.



The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid and neutral soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.



Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade.

Edible Uses

Flowers; Leaves; Tea.

Young leaves and flower buds - raw or cooked[105, 183]. When added to soup they thicken it in much the same way as okra[85, 159, 183]. Some caution is advised if the plant has yellow flowers since these can cause diarrhoea if eaten in large quantities[62].



A tea can be made from the leaves[85, 183].



The flowers are candied.



Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Analgesic; Poultice.



A poultice of the leaves has been used to allay the pain of a headache[257].



An infusion of the plant has been used in the treatment of dysentery, coughs and colds[257].



A poultice of the crushed root has been applied to boils[257].



Other Uses

Repellent.

An infusion of the root has been used to soak corn seeds before planting in order to keep off insects[257].

What is the family the birds-foot violet come from?
Birdsfoot Violet



(Viola pedata)

Violet Family-Violaceae

Description: Has deep blue-violet flowers 3.25 cm wide with deeply cut leaves on separate stalks. Flowers are larger than most violet species. Overall plant height is 10-25 cm.

Flowering: March-June

Habitat: Sandy fields and borders of upland woods

Comments: Its distinctive "birds-foot"-shaped leaves make it very easy to identify. A variety with two deep violet upper petals and three lilac-shaded lower petals is considered one of the most beautiful violets in the world