Dog violet

Violeta riviniana

This evergreen herbaceous perennial likes to flower in the sparse laurel forest.
When its fruits are ripe, their seeds are shot explosively out of the three-part fruit capsules. In addition, the industrious ants also help to sow the grove violet. These love an appendage that sticks to the seeds, an elaiosome, which the plant uses as an attractant. In this process called "myrmecochory", the ants carry the seeds to places further away, helping the plant to spread even further.

Photo: Ines Dietrich