Common Name:

General Information

Viola betonicifolia is a very variable, stemless, evergreen perennial plant grpwing from a thickened main root and producing a cluster of growth 5 - 40cm tall. In cold winters, or in a drought, the plant dies back to a perennial rootstock[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine. It is sometimes cultivated for use as a pot herb and is also sometimes grown as an ornamental in gardens[].

Known Hazards

All members of this genus have more or less edible leaves and flower buds, though those species with yellow flowers can cause diarrhoea if eaten in large quantities[, , ]. The flowers of this species are pale purple to violet[].

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - China, central and southern Japan, Korea, Afghanistan, Indian subcontinent, Myanmar, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea, Australia

Habitat

Damp, shaded forest habitats; more open sclerophyll forest; grassy hillsides; growing well on cleared land that is not heavily grazed[]. Fields, roadsides, grasslands on mountain slopes, thickets, forest
margins; at elevations below 1,500 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Perennial
Height	0.20 m
Pollinators	Insects, Cleistogamous
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Viola betonicifolia has a wide natural range from the warm temperate zone of southern China, through the tropical regions (where it is usually at elevations over 1,000 metres), to the warm temperate zone of Australia.
Species in this genus generally prefer a cool moist well-drained humus-rich soil in partial or dappled shade and protection from scorching winds. They can tolerate sandstone and limestone soils but become chlorotic if the pH is too high. They prefer a pH between 6 and 6.5[].
When well-suited, the plant will usually self-sow freely in gardens[].
All members of this genus have more or less edible leaves and flower buds, though those species with yellow flowers can cause diarrhoea if eaten in large quantities[, , ].
Like several other members of this genus, this species has two types of flower. The first type has petals and is pollinated by insects. The second type are formed later in the season, known as cleistogamous, they do not have petals, never open, but self-fertilize and produce fertile seed[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked and used as a pot herb[].
The soup is used as a tea substitute[].

Flowers[].

Medicinal

The flowers are generally taken as a diuretic and expectorant[]. A syrup made from the flowers is used as a remedy for cough, colds, asthma and hoarseness[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown in the autumn in a cold frame. Sow stored seed in early spring in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer.
Division in the autumn or just after flowering. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions, though we have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the summer or the following spring.