The Viola

61

By lilibees

Viola(Violet)

The Viola is a flowering plant in the violet family, with around 400 to 500 species distributed around the world. They are tiny perennial plants, and few are shrubs. Most species are grown for their ornamental values, along borders and in rock gardens. They are typically heart shaped and come in a variety of colors, blue yellow, white,violet, and cream, but can be bi colored blue and green.

Not all viola's are desired and wild violets function as a weed in the North American lawns.

The Viola also has culinary uses, when newly opened they can be used to decorate salads or in stuffing's for fish and chicken. Creams can be flavored with the essence of the Viola's flowers. The young leaves are edible raw or cooked, but kind of a bland vegetable. Some species of the flower have a distinct vanilla flavor with a hint of wintergreen, that is delisious in salads. Very favorable candied and the french sometimes are known to use the violet extract to make syrup.

The leaves and roots of various viola species have medicinal uses as well being high in vitamin A and C. They also contain an antioxidant called anthocyamin, viola flowers are also used to make Chinese herbal teas.

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