Authors: Murray  

Botanical Description

Tufted annual, in foliage and overall appearance like V. tricolor, but with smaller cream to yellow flowers, sometimes with the upper petals purple-flushed or marked. Many intermediates between it and tricolor are known, probably of hybrid origin, but few if any are worthy of cultivation. Europe, Caucasia, Siberia, as a weed of cultivated and waste land.

V. athois W. Becker. (P). Tufted-clump-forming, with stems 10-15cm long. Leaves orbicular to ovate or oblong, 1.5-3cm long, crenulate, the stipules five to seven pinnatifid, the terminal lobe leaf-like. Flowers 2cm across, violet with a curved, 8mm long spur, summer. Greece, amongst mountain rocks.