Flora of New Zealand Series

pansy

Rhizomatous perennial. Stems ascending to erect, sparsely hairy, 10-30 cm long. Lvs (2)-4-8 cm long, with short hairs, with 3-7 crenations each side. Basal lvs ovate, petiolate; stipules pinnatifid. Stem lvs becoming narrow-elliptic, cuneately narrowed to short petiole; stipules pinnatifid, 1/2-3/4 lf length, with leaflike terminal lobe, and 3-7 linear lateral lobes. Peduncles erect, in axils of upper lvs, glabrous; bracts small, dentate. Fls 2.5-4 cm diam. Sepals narrowly-triangular, acute, 10-20 mm long; appendages 4-8 mm long. Petals usually violet, orange, yellow or cream, > sepals, the lowest and lateral bearded; spur 3-6 mm long, = or slightly > sepal appendages. Style geniculate at base, 1.5-2 mm long; stigma globose. Capsule ellipsoid, glabrous, 7-12 mm long. Seeds obovoid, pale brown, 2 mm long.

N.: near Tauranga; S.: Canterbury; St.

Cultivated hybrid 1940

Roadsides and waste land, probably persistent garden discards, establishing by seed in places.

Pansy has also been referred to in N.Z. as V. tricolor var. hortensis.