Viola (odorata or tricolor)

[Koen G]

We only have the VM image to go by, and we could compare it to either visual or textual references. A textual description resulting in this drawing seems unlikely to me. And we're struggling to find comparable images. As far as I'm aware, we can only find "viola" illustrated as something like V. odorata, while the VM depicts something closer to V. tricolor. See this thread: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.

This is remarkable, and various things could be concluded from it, depending on one's inclinations.

• Is there an unknown or lost herbal tradition where the (presumably inexperienced) VM artist drew the tricolor-shaped flower from?
  
• Have we not looked well enough, or been looking at the wrong kinds of sources? 
  
• Is it a coincidence? They started from one source drawing and by some circumstance drew something we recognize as V. tricolor? Remember that the flowers are upside down. However, some of the details are pretty good, like the line pattern on the inside. I don't think this scenario is particularly likely.
  
• Is it proof of an "old parchment" scenario? Viola tricolor drawings do occur later (ca. 1500+) in books of hours for example. But there, they are executed much better than this thing, and the style is much less schematic, more lifelike.
  
• Is it proof that the VM artist(s) drew from nature sometimes?