Viola betonicifolia
Common names
arrowhead violet, arrow-leaved violet
Synonyms
Viola longiscapa (DC.) G.Don V. phyteumifolia G.Don.
Family
Violaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Conservation status
Not applicable
Simplified description
Herbaceous perennial with leafy rosette & woody rootstock; leaves conspicuously hastate; stems to 30 cm tall; flowers purple or white.
Habitat
In Whanganui, it has been a long-persistent perennial in cultivated pots of bulbs, defying all attempts to eradicate it manually; it spreads by seed to adjoining pots.
Similar taxa
Other small Viola species such as V. arvensis and A. tricolor, but easily distinguished by its hastate leaves.
Flower colours
Violet/Purple, White
Life cycle
Self-establishes from seed.
Year naturalised
2007
Origin
Australia; also India, Pakistan, SE Asia, Papua New Guinea
Reason for introduction
Ornamental