Viola guestphalica

Viola guestphalica, common name high calamine pansy, Westphalia pansy, zinc pansy or (in German) Blaues Galmeiveilchen, is native to the region of northwestern Germany known as Westphalia. It is found in the wild only in the Districts of Paderborn, Hoexter and Hochsauerlandkreis, although it is cultivated in other locations. These are industrial areas where much of the soil is contaminated with lead, zinc and other metals, which some Viola species are more able to tolerate than some other plants.[2][3][4]

Viola guestphalica
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Violaceae
Genus: Viola
Species:
V. guestphalica
Binomial name
Viola guestphalica
Nauenb.
Synonyms[1]
  • Viola calaminaria var. westfalica W.Ernst
  • Viola calaminaria subsp. westfalica (W.Ernst) J.Heimans

Viola guestphalica is in many ways similar to the yellow-flowered V. calaminaria, and long treated as a variety of that species. Recent studies, however, suggest that it should be treated as a separate species.[5]

Viola guestphalica is an herb up to 15 cm (6 inches) tall. Flowers are blue-violet with darker blue streaks toward the center, and prominent yellow anthers.[6][7]

References
  1. The Plant List
  2. A. Braun. 1854. Das Vorkommen von Zink im Pflanzenreich. Bericht über die Bekanntmachung geeigneter Verhandlungen der Königlich Preußischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin 19: 12–15.
  3. Ernst, W. (1965): Ecological-sociological studies in the heavy metal plant communities in Central Europe, including the Alps. – Abh Westf. Mus. Naturkde. 27 (1): 1–54, Münster.
  4. ̨Drzejczyk, M. Rostańskia, and Małkowski E. 2002. Accumulation of zinc and lead in selected taxa of the genus Viola L. Acta Biologica Cracoviensia, Serie Botanica 44: 49–55.
  5. Siuta, A., M. Bozek, M. Jedrzejczyk, A. Rostanski, E. Kuta. 2005. Is the blue zinc violet (Viola guestphalica Nauenb.) of hybrid origin? evidence from embryology. Acta Biologica Cracoviensia, Serie Botanica, 47(1):237–245.
  6. Nauenberg, J.D. 1986. Untersuchungen zur Variabilität, Ökologie und Systematik der Viola tricolor- Gruppe in Mitteleuropa. Göttingen, Germany
  7. Richard Götte. 2007: Flora im östlichen Sauerland, Verein für Natur- und Vogelschutz im Hochsauerlandkreis 2007, ISBN 978-3-00-021099-0
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