Field Pansy

Viola arvensis

Field pansy (Viola arvensis) resembling the garden variety pansy, the field pansy grows year round in parts of the North Island, but more commonly in the South Island. It grows in planted paddocks, on waste land and road-sides. Its seeds are similar to those of some forage seed crops making separation of seeds problematic. The plant grows close to the ground when young; when older stems can grow upwards to about 30 cm. The flowers are small, with five petals – two upper petals with a tinge of blue/violet, and the lower three petals pale yellow. Oval shaped mid green coloured leaves in a rosette formation have a shallow toothed edge. Seeds are light brown, oblong and approx. 1.5 mm long, encased in an oval pod.

Field pansy (Viola arvensis) is a low growing annual weed that is very common in the South Island. Can germinate all year round and is usually found in cultivated crops and waste areas.

Cotyledons:

Apex rounded, base rounded
Short-stalked

Leaves:

Round to oval
Sparsely notched

Young plants grow as rosettes with stems close to the ground. Leaves are oval with long stalks and sparsely toothed.

As plants mature, leafy stems grow upwards to 30 cm high. Yellow to cream flowers are produced on long stalks.

Related Pests

Californian Thistle

Cirsium arvense

Californian thistles (Cirsium arvense) are a perennial thistle that is a major weed of pastures and crops throughout New Zealand. It grows and spreads in patches with a spreading underground root system. In the winter the foliage dies off from frosts with new plants growing from the underground root system in the spring. The root system is easily broken up by cultivation but new plants originate from these and can be very problematic in crops and new pastures.

Broad-leaved Fleabane

Conyza sumatrensis

Broad-leaved fleabane (Conyza sumatrensis) is an annual or biennial weed that is common throughout New Zealand on roadsides, wasteland, orchards and vineyards. In recent years it has been increasingly seen in pasture. It starts as a rosette that then forms a vigorous upright stem up to 1.8 metres tall. The stem branches at the top producing copious quantities of small green seed heads.

Henbit

Lamium amplexicaule

Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) is a purple-flowered weed that is commonly present in cropping areas in the South island. It is a slender annual that grows to 30 cm tall with purple whorl shaped flowers.