Viola (odorata or tricolor)

[Koen G]

It is kind of strange as V. tricolor and arvensis are prolific agricultural weeds that are easier to cultivate than V. odorata, providing you have a sufficiently dry and sunny spot. And they flower for a much longer period than odorata, all summer. I think the reason is that it took until the late 15th century and the Northward spread of the Renaissance for scholars to create novel works instead of just copying and recompiling classical literature. Therefore, while V. tricolor use was probably known and even cultivated in early medieval Middle Europe, it may simply not have been recorded in herbals because the major authorities of antiquity did not recommend it. At least not in the high quality famous works that survived until today. Quality-wise, the VM certainly is an oddball that only survived because of its weirdness.

I agree, this seems like the most likely explanation. The herbal traditions are based on authorities, and there was little incentive to add new stuff. So we shouldn't look at them as a field guide.

Still, most plants of the MS are impossible to identify. When you see a flower, the leaves don't match etc. That Viola of all things should be so clear is fascinating.