Violaceae

The pansy family in Belgium:
Pansy species (genus Viola) are by far the best known and most common of this family. Many species occur naturally in our region, such as e.g. field pansy (Viola arvensis), common dog-violet (Viola riviniana), but also wild pansy (Viola tricolor), native in Europe and often used in gardens and pots for town embellishment.
The subendemic species or subspecies Viola [lutea subsp.] calaminaria also occurs in Belgium. It grows solely in the three-border area around Aachen (Germany) and Kelmis (Belgium). The distribution area of this plant is thus much smaller than that of some endemic species of larger countries such as China, Brazil, or the United States. Yet, because the border between Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands “happens” to coincide with its limited distribution area, this zinc violet receives much less attention than what its distribution area actually deserves.

The Belgian Herbarium: Read more »