Pansy

Pansy
/pan"zee/, n.
a female given name.

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Any of several popular cultivated violets (genus Viola).

Pansies have been grown for so long under such diverse conditions with such striking variations in colour and form that their origin is uncertain. Probably the garden pansy (V. wittrockiana) is a cultivated form of V. tricolor, a weed of European grainfields. Annuals or short-lived perennials, pansies grow 6–12 in. (15–30 cm) tall and have heart-shaped leaves at the base and oblong leaves growing from the stems. Velvety flowers occur in combinations of blue, yellow, and white. The smaller, usually purple, wild pansy is also known as Johnny-jump-up, heartsease, and love-in-idleness.

Pansy (Viola tricolor)

Kitty Kohout/Root Resources

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plant
      any of several popular cultivated violets (genus Viola), with 400–600 species, of the family Violaceae. Pansies have been grown for so long a period under such diverse conditions and in such a variety of forms that their origin is uncertain. The numerous forms, with their striking variations in colour, are the product of domestication. The garden pansy (V. wittrockiana) is a hybrid, one of whose parents is V. tricolor, which is a weed of European grainfields, the other parents being V. lutea and V. altaica. The tufted pansy, or horned viola (V. cornuta), is the parent of numerous forms of bedding pansies. The pansy is an annual or a short-lived perennial and grows about 15 to 30 cm (6 to 12 inches) tall. Heart-shaped or rounded leaves sprout from the base, and oblong or oval leaves grow from the stems. The plant's velvety flowers, which usually occur in combinations of blue, yellow, and white, are about 2.5 to 5 cm (1 to 2 inches) across and have five petals. The garden pansy grows best in rich soil in a damp, cool climate.

      The wild pansy, also known as johnny-jump-up, heartsease, and love-in-idleness, has been widely naturalized in North America. The flowers of this form are usually purple and yellow and less than 2 cm (0.8 inch) across.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Synonyms:
, (Viola tricolor)


Look at other dictionaries:

  • Pansy — Pan sy, n.; pl. {Pansies}. [F. Pens[ e]e thought, pansy, fr. penser to think, L. pensare to weigh, ponder. See {Pensive}.] (Bot.) A plant of the genus {Viola} ({Viola tricolor}) and its blossom, originally purple and yellow. Cultivated varieties… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Pansy — f English: 19th century flower name, from the garden flower that got its name from Old French pensee thought. This was never especially popular, and is seldom chosen at all now that the word pansy has acquired a derogatory slang sense denoting an …   First names dictionary

  • pansy — (n.) mid 15c., from M.Fr. pensée a pansy, lit. thought, remembrance, from fem. pp. of penser to think, from L. pensare consider, frequentative of pendere to weigh (see PENSIVE (Cf. pensive)). So called because it was regarded as a symbol of… …   Etymology dictionary

  • pansy — ► NOUN 1) a plant of the viola family, with flowers in rich colours. 2) informal, derogatory an effeminate or homosexual man. ORIGIN French pensée thought, pansy …   English terms dictionary

  • pansy — [pan′zē] n. pl. pansies [Fr pensée, a thought < penser, to think < L pensare: see PENSIVE] 1. any of various violets, esp. a popular garden hybrid (Viola tricolor hortensis), with flat, broad, velvety petals in many colors ☆ 2. Slang an… …   English World dictionary

  • Pansy — For other uses of the name, see Pansy (disambiguation). Pansy Scientific classification Kingdom …   Wikipedia

  • pansy — /pan zee/, n., pl. pansies. 1. a violet, Viola tricolor hortensis, cultivated in many varieties, having richly and variously colored flowers. 2. the flower of this plant. 3. Slang (disparaging and offensive). a. a male homosexual. b. a weak,… …   Universalium

  • pansy — /ˈpænzi / (say panzee) noun (plural pansies) 1. any of several species of herbaceous plants of the genus Viola, especially the wild pansy, V. tricolor, and the garden pansy, V. × wittrockiana, a hybrid with many cultivated varieties. 2. its… …  

  • pansy — trispalvė našlaitė statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Našlaitinių šeimos daržovinis, dekoratyvinis, maistinis, vaistinis augalas (Viola tricolor), paplitęs Europoje ir vakarų Azijoje. atitikmenys: lot. Viola tricolor angl. European wild pansy; …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • pansy — Heart s ease Heart s ease (h[aum]rts [=e]z ), n. 1. Ease of heart; peace or tranquillity of mind or feeling. Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. (Bot.) A species of violet ({Viola tricolor}), a common and long cultivated European herb from which most common… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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