Botanical Family · Malpighiales

Violaceae

Violet Family

8 speciesOrder Malpighiales3+ well-known plants

The Violaceae family (Violet Family) is a botanical family placed in the order Malpighiales. In the SASYA catalogue it spans 8 species across 3 genera. Its members are predominantly herbs. Well-represented genera include Hybanthus, Viola and Rinorea. Several members are valued in traditional medicine. Familiar examples include Spade Flower, Mountain Violet and Smooth-Leaf White Violet.

Browse all 8 species ↓
Representative VIOLACEAE specimen
Representative specimen · Violaceae
Key pattern

Simple leaves, often heart-shaped, on herbs and shrubs; bilaterally symmetrical flowers have one lower petal extended into a backward-pointing nectar spur, with the two lateral stamens sometimes bearing spurs of their own reaching into it.

Many violets produce two kinds of flowers on the same plant — the familiar showy ones above ground, and small, closed, self-pollinating ones hidden near the soil that guarantee seed set without needing a pollinator.

Identify the species

Which Violaceae species is this?

Answer what you can see and narrow it down to a single Violaceae species.

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Flower ColorWhat color are the flowers?
Purple
White
HabitWhat is the plant's growth habit?
Herb
Shrub

Typical leaf characters

  • ArrangementVariable
  • Simple type leaf characterTypeSimple
  • MarginVariable
  • VenationVariable

Characters typical of the family — individual species can vary.

Typical flower & fruit

Typical of the family — flowering plants only; species can vary.

Notable members

All 8 species in VIOLACEAE

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