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VIOLET
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Violets are about 500 species of temperate-zone flowers, genus Viola, in the violet family, Violaceae. They are low-growing herbs or subshrubs, and species bloom either annually or perennially. Violets may be stemmed--flowers and leaves growing on the same stem--or stemless--flowers and leaves growing on separate stalks. The shape of the leaves varies widely. Many species of violets produce two kinds of flowers: showy purple, blue, pink, yellow, white, or multicolored flowers are produced in the springtime, allowing cross-pollination by insects; self-pollinating, inconspicuous green flowers without petals (cleistogamous flowers) are produced during the summer.
Although most species are wildflowers, several have been cultivated; these include the PANSY, classified as V. tricolor or V. X wittrockiana (a hybrid); Johnny-jump up, V. tricolor; and sweet, or florist's, violet, V. odorata. Leaves of sweet violets can be added to salads, and the flowers can be candied or used to make violet jelly. Large numbers of the parma violet, V. odorata, var. semperflorens, are grown in France and Italy to produce essential oils used in perfume; more than 2 million flowers are needed to yield about half a kilogram (one pound) of the oils. In the eastern United States and Canada, common wildflower species include the woolly blue violet, V. papilionacea, and the bird's-foot violet, V. pedata. The AFRICAN VIOLET, Saintpaulia, is not related to the true violet.
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