Viola cucullata

"Purple violet" redirects here. For the RAL color, see Purple violet (RAL).

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.^[1] It is a recipient of the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.^[2]

Viola cucullata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Malpighiales
Family:	Violaceae
Genus:	Viola
Species:	V. cucullata
Binomial name
Viola cucullata Aiton

Description

The purple violet is a low-growing perennial herbaceous plant up to 20 cm (8 in) tall. The leaves form a basal cluster; they are simple, up to 10 cm (4 in) broad, with an crenate-serrate margin^[3][4] and a long petiole. The flowers are violet, dark blue and occasionally white. with five petals. The fruit is a capsule 10–15 mm (3⁄8–5⁄8 in) long, which splits into three sections at maturity to release the numerous small seeds.^[5] Its habitats include wet meadows, prairies, and fields.^[6]

• 
  A white purple violet.
• 
  A closeup of a purple violet flower.

Symbolism

The purple violet is the provincial flower of New Brunswick.^[7]

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.[8]

The purple violet is also one of the official flowers of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.^{[citation needed]}