Violaceae
Violet Family
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 ↓
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.
Which Violaceae species is this?
Answer what you can see and narrow it down to a single Violaceae species.
To check whether a plant belongs to Violaceae, compare the leaf arrangement, leaf type, flower symmetry, fruit type, and one distinctive marker together. A single feature can mislead; the family pattern is the combination.
Learn the full family-identification methodTypical leaf characters
- ArrangementVariable
TypeSimple- MarginVariable
- VenationVariable
Characters typical of the family — individual species can vary.
Typical flower & fruit
- Flower symmetryZygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
- InflorescencePanicle
- FruitCapsule
Typical of the family — flowering plants only; species can vary.
Notable members
Families that can look similar
Euphorbiaceae
Compare against Euphorbiaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare EuphorbiaceaeClusiaceae
Compare against Clusiaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare ClusiaceaeHypericaceae
Compare against Hypericaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare HypericaceaePhyllanthaceae
Compare against Phyllanthaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare PhyllanthaceaeAll 8 species in VIOLACEAE
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