Viola cornuta

{{Short description|Species of flowering plant in genus Viola}}

{{About|the wild species Viola cornuta|the ornamental hybrid derived from Viola cornuta|Viola × williamsii}}

{{Speciesbox

|image = Viola cornuta pineta.JPG

|genus = Viola (plant)

|species = cornuta

|authority = L.

}}

Viola cornuta, known as horned pansy{{BSBI 2007 |access-date=2014-10-17 }} or horned violet, is a species of flowering plant in the violet family Violaceae, native to the Pyrenees and the Cordillera Cantábrica of northern Spain at an altitude of {{convert|1000|-|2300|m}}.{{cite book |url=http://www.floraiberica.es/floraiberica/texto/pdfs/03_065_01_Viola.pdf |chapter=Viola L. |author=F. Muñoz Garmendia |author2=P. Montserrat |author3=M. Laínz |author4=J. J. Aldasoro |name-list-style=amp |series=Flora Iberica |pages=276–317 |volume=3 |title=Plumbaginaceae (partim) – Capparaceae |isbn=978-84-00-08359-5}} It is a low-growing, clump-forming temperate evergreen perennial, reaching {{convert|50 |cm|in|abbr=on}} in height and spread. It has mid-green ovate leaves with rounded teeth, and masses of delicate pale violet flowers in early summer. The flower consists of five strap-shaped petals with a slender spur.{{cite book|last=Fuller|first=Rodney|title=Pansies, violas and violettas: the complete guide|year=1993|publisher=Crowood Press|location=United Kingdom|isbn=978-1-85223-748-6}}{{cite book|last=Edwards|first=Ray|title=Hardy perennials: RHS practicals|year=1999|publisher=Dorling Kindersley|location=United Kingdom}}

This plant,{{cite web | title=RHS Plant Selector "Viola cornuta" | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/18990/Viola-cornuta/Details | access-date = 5 March 2021}} and the white-flowered Alba Group,{{cite web | title=RHS Plant Selector Viola cornuta Alba Group | url= https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/101000/Viola-cornuta-Alba-Group-(C)/Details | publisher = RHS | access-date = 5 March 2021}} have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf | title = AGM Plants - Ornamental | date = July 2017 | page = 107 | publisher = Royal Horticultural Society | access-date = 18 February 2019}}

It is a known host of the pathogenic fungus Puccinia violae.Helgi Hallgrímsson & Guðríður Gyða Eyjólfsdóttir (2004). [https://rafhladan.is/bitstream/handle/10802/4090/Fjolrit_45.pdf?sequence=1 Íslenskt sveppatal I - smásveppir [Checklist of Icelandic Fungi I - Microfungi]. Fjölrit Náttúrufræðistofnunar. Náttúrufræðistofnun Íslands [Icelandic Institute of Natural History]. ISSN 1027-832X