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For the sake of argument, lets assume that all Pansies can be referred to Viola x wittrockiana. I
know it isn't entirely satisfactory, but taxonomy isn't entirely satisfactory and don't get me started
on the rest of life. I don't do a lot of frippery like this in the garden, there just isn't time, but when it works I adore it. Kew says: "The garden pansy was first cultivated in the 19th century as a hybrid of multiple Viola species, including the wild pansy (Viola tricolor). Today, pansies are defined by horticulturalists as large, colourful flowers with a characteristic blotch in the centre of their petals. The garden pansy is a small, non-woody plant that can reach up to 25cm in height. The leaves are green and heart-shaped, with somewhat jagged edges. The flower is 5 to 8cm across, with two upper petals which overlap, two side petals, and a single, large, bottom petal. The flower can be white, yellow, blue, purple or red, with a darker patch in the centre of the petals. " Plants of the World online says: "The hybrid formula of this artificial cross is V. altaica × V. lutea subsp. sudetica × V. tricolor." |
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| 18th April 2010 | ||
