Viola marginata
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Photo courtesy Renee Brecht |
Britton & Brown Line Drawing |
| Botanical name: | Viola marginata |
| Common name: | periwinkle; myrtle |
| Group: | dicot |
| Family: | Apocynaceae |
| Growth type: | forb/herb, vine |
| Duration: | perennial |
| Origin: | introduced from Europe |
| Plant height: | 6" tall; forms an evergreen mat |
| Foliage: | leaves opposite, evergreen, elliptic, and entire, being lustrous dark green above |
| Flower: | blue-purple, five petals, 3/4 - 1" across |
| Flowering time: | late March through April; sporadically throughout the summer |
| Habitat: | woods, shady roadsides |
| Range in New Jersey: | statewide |
| Heritage ranking, if any: | n/a |
| Distribution: |  |
| Misc. | V. minor is found
in wild areas generally denotes a former homestead site. Spreads via
creeping stems. Often used as groundcover in shady areas. |