Yellow Pansy
Encyclopedia
Viola pedunculata, the Yellow Pansy, is a common and attractive wildflower of coastal regions of California
and Baja California
. It is also known as the California Golden Violet, or as the Johnny Jump Up, though the latter name is more usually associated with the introduced Heartsease
, Viola tricolor.
The Yellow Pansy grows on open, grassy slopes, chaparral
, and in oak woodlands, from sea level to around 1000 metres. It is a perennial
, growing from a spongy rhizome
. The leaves are 1-5.5 cm, cordate (heart-shaped) to deltate-ovate (oblong-triangular), scalloped or toothed, and glabrous or hairy. The plant is often low-growing, but can reach heights of up to 40cm. The flowers appear in March and April, and are always yellow. They are hermaphrodite
and are pollinated by insect
s. Dried in air, the seeds weigh about 4mg each.
can be made from the leaves.
outside its natural range, for example in Britain
, where it flowers in May. However it is not very hardy, and is best propagated in a cold frame
.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
. It is also known as the California Golden Violet, or as the Johnny Jump Up, though the latter name is more usually associated with the introduced Heartsease
Heartsease
Viola tricolor, known as Heartsease, is a common European wild flower, growing as an annual or short-lived perennial. It has been introduced into North America, where it has spread widely, and is known as the Johnny Jump Up...
, Viola tricolor.
The Yellow Pansy grows on open, grassy slopes, chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
, and in oak woodlands, from sea level to around 1000 metres. It is a perennial
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
, growing from a spongy rhizome
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
. The leaves are 1-5.5 cm, cordate (heart-shaped) to deltate-ovate (oblong-triangular), scalloped or toothed, and glabrous or hairy. The plant is often low-growing, but can reach heights of up to 40cm. The flowers appear in March and April, and are always yellow. They are hermaphrodite
Hermaphrodite
In biology, a hermaphrodite is an organism that has reproductive organs normally associated with both male and female sexes.Many taxonomic groups of animals do not have separate sexes. In these groups, hermaphroditism is a normal condition, enabling a form of sexual reproduction in which both...
and are pollinated by insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s. Dried in air, the seeds weigh about 4mg each.
Native americans
The leaves were used by the Diegueno and Luiseno people for food: the young leaves were picked before the flowers appear in the spring, boiled, and used as greens. The flower buds can also be eaten, though like other yellow flowers of the genus Viola, in large quantities they can cause diarrhoea. A tisaneTisane
A herbal tea, tisane, or ptisan is a herbal or plant infusion and usually not made from the leaves of the tea bush . Typically, herbal tea is simply the combination of boiling water and dried fruits, flowers or herbs. Herbal tea has been imbibed for nearly as long as written history extends...
can be made from the leaves.
Cultivation
The plant is sometimes grown in gardensGardening
Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants. Ornamental plants are normally grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants are grown for consumption , for their dyes, or for medicinal or cosmetic use...
outside its natural range, for example in Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, where it flowers in May. However it is not very hardy, and is best propagated in a cold frame
Cold frame
In agriculture and gardening, a cold frame is a transparent-roofed enclosure, built low to the ground, used to protect plants from cold weather. The transparent top admits sunlight and prevents heat escape via convection that would otherwise occur, particularly at night...
.