Erythronium dens-canis

Dog's-tooth-violet
In the Carpathian Mountains, Romania
Close-up of a flower from below, Romania
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Liliales
Family: Liliaceae
Subfamily: Lilioideae
Genus: Erythronium
Species:
E. dens-canis
Binomial name
Erythronium dens-canis
Synonyms[1]
Synonymy
  • Erythronium bifidum Sweet
  • Erythronium bulbosum St.-Lag.
  • Erythronium caninum Dulac
  • Erythronium latifolium Schur
  • Erythronium longifolium Mill.
  • Erythronium maculatum DC.
  • Erythronium maculosum Lam.
  • Erythronium niveum (Baumg.) Pînzaru
  • Erythronium obtusiflorum Opiz
  • Erythronium ovatifolium Poir.
  • Erythronium vernale Salisb.

Erythronium dens-canis, the dog's-tooth-violet[2] is a bulbous herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Liliaceae. It is native to central and southern Europe from Portugal to Ukraine, and locally naturalised north to Germany, Great Britain, and Ireland.[2][3] It, and the closely related Erythronium caucasicum in the extreme southeast of Europe, are the only naturally occurring species of Erythronium in Europe. Despite its common name, it is not closely related to the true violets of genus Viola.[4]

Description

Erythronium dens-canis grows to 6–30 cm (2–12 in) tall, flowering at the beginning of spring from February to April. The flowers are solitary, pink or lilac (rarely white), with six tepals around 3 cm long; these are reflexed at the top and yellow tinted at the base, and with dark purple anthers. The leaves are marbled in glaucous green and pinkish-brown or purple, and are ovate to lanceolate; they grow in pairs. The white bulb is oblong and resembles a dog's tooth, hence the common name "dog's-tooth-violet" and the Latin specific epithet dens-canis, which translates as "dog's tooth".[5][6][7][8]

Ecology

Erythronium dens-canis is found in damp, sunny or lightly shaded settings such as meadows and open woodland, mainly growing at altitudes of 500–2,000 m.[5]

Taxonomy

Numerous names have been coined at varietal rank for plants once considered to be included within Erythronium dens-canis. None of the European varieties is now considered to merit recognition but some of the Asian species are now regarded as distinct species:[1]

  • Erythronium dens-canis var. japonicum, now called Erythronium japonicum
  • Erythronium dens-canis var. parviflorum, now called Erythronium sibiricum
  • Erythronium dens-canis var. sibiricum, now called Erythronium sibiricum

Uses

It is grown as a garden plant for its attractive flowers. It was first introduced to Britain in 1596, with naturalised plants first noted in 1965.[2]

Its leaves may be consumed raw in salad, or boiled as a leaf vegetable. The bulb is also the source of a starch used in making vermicelli.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b The Plant List
  2. ^ a b c "Dog's-tooth-violet Erythronium dens-canis L." PlantAtlas. Retrieved 2026-04-16.
  3. ^ "Erythronium dens-canis L." Plants of the World Online. 2021-04-10. Retrieved 2026-04-16.
  4. ^ RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 978-1405332965.
  5. ^ a b Huxley, Anthony (1967). Mountain Flowers. London: Blandford Press. p. 168.
  6. ^ Huxley, Anthony (1992). Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. Vol. 2. London New York: Macmillan Stockton press. p. 209. ISBN 1-56159-001-0.
  7. ^ Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. p. 224. ISBN 9781845337315.
  8. ^ Linnaeus, Carl von. 1753. Species Plantarum 1: 305.
  9. ^ "Erythronium dens-canis". Plants for a future. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
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