Viola cucullata
{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}
{{Redir|Purple violet|the RAL color|Purple violet (RAL)}}
{{Speciesbox
|image = Viola cucullata flower.jpg
|genus = Viola (plant)
|species = cucullata
|authority = Aiton
}}
Viola cucullata, the hooded blue violet, marsh blue violet or purple violet, is a species of the genus Viola native to eastern North America, from Newfoundland west to Ontario and Minnesota, and south to Georgia.{{GRIN | access-date = 12 January 2018}} It is a recipient of the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.{{Cite web |title=See RHS lists of top AGM garden-worthy plants, fruit & veg / RHS Gardening |url=http://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/trials-awards/award-of-garden-merit/agm-lists |access-date=2022-09-28 |website=www.rhs.org.uk |language=en-gb}}
Description
The purple violet is a low-growing perennial herbaceous plant up to {{cvt|20|cm|in|0}} tall. The leaves form a basal cluster; they are simple, up to {{cvt|10|cm|in|0}} broad, with an crenate-serrate margin{{cite web |title=Marsh Violet (Viola cucullata) |url=https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/wetland/plants/marsh_violet.html |website=Illinois Wildflowers |access-date=17 April 2025}}{{cite web |last1=Ballard |first1=Harvey |title=Viola cucullata Aiton |url=https://people.ohio.edu/ballardh/vgpena/taxa/violacucullata.htm |website=people.ohio.edu |access-date=17 April 2025}} and a long petiole. The flowers are violet, dark blue and occasionally white. with five petals. The fruit is a capsule {{cvt|10|–|15|mm|in|frac=8}} long, which splits into three sections at maturity to release the numerous small seeds.{{cite web |website=Northern Ontario Plant Database |url=http://www.northernontarioflora.ca/description.cfm?speciesid=1004498 |title=Viola cucullata}} Its habitats include wet meadows, prairies, and fields.{{Cite web|title=Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin|url=https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=vicu|access-date=|website=www.wildflower.org}}
File:Viola cucullata Flower1.JPG|A white purple violet.
File:Viola cucullata 15-p.bot-viola.cucu-03.jpg|A closeup of a purple violet flower.
Symbolism
The purple violet is the provincial flower of New Brunswick.{{cite book | author-link=Neltje Blanchan |last=Blanchan |first=| year=2005 | publisher=Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation}}
The purple violet is the national flower of New Brunswick’s province. The purple violet is the official flower of the sorority Sigma Sigma Sigma.{{Cite web |title=Our Story • Tri State|url=https://trisigma.org/our-story/ |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=Tri Sigma |language=en-US}}
The purple violet is also one of the official flowers of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.{{Citation needed|date=September 2022}}
References
{{Commons}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Floral Emblems of Canada}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q2070758}}
Category:Flora of Eastern Canada
Category:Provincial symbols of New Brunswick
Category:Flora of the Northeastern United States
Category:Flora of the Southeastern United States