Erythronium dens-canis, the dog's-tooth-violet or dogtooth violet, is a bulbous herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Liliaceae, growing to 25cm (10inches). It is native to central and southern Europe from Portugal to Ukraine.[1] It is the only naturally occurring species of Erythronium in Europe. Despite its common name, it is not closely related to the true violets of genus Viola.[2]
Erythronium dens-canis produces a solitary white, pink or lilac flower at the beginning of spring. The petals (growing to approx. 3 cm) are reflexed at the top and yellow tinted at the base. The brown spotted leaves are ovate to lanceolate and grow in pairs. The white bulb is oblong and resembles a dog's tooth, hence the common name "dog's tooth violet" and the Latin specific epithet dens-canis, which translates as "dog's tooth".[3] [4]
Erythronium dens-canis is found in damp, lightly shaded settings such as deciduous woodland.
Its leaves may be consumed raw in salad, or boiled as a leaf vegetable. The bulb is also the source of a starch used in making vermicelli.[5]