Resumen
- Parma violets are reputed for their double, fragrant flowers and have been cultivated for centuries in Europe. However, due to arather atypical morphology their taxonomic affinity has not been clarified. Authors have proposed an origin from three possiblespecies, Viola alba,V. odorata, or V. suavis, or a hybrid origin. Using both ITS sequence variation and allozyme variation in 14putative loci, we showed that the Parma violet cultivars have their origin within Viola alba and that they are best included in theMediterranean subsp. dehnhardtii.