wild pansy

plural wild pansies

1. Viola tricolor, a European wildflower with medicinal properties, which was formerly believed to ease heartache.

   In fact, the wild pansy was valued in ancient times for its potency in love charms.

   2017, Niall Mac Coitir, Ireland's Wild Plants – Myths, Legends & Folklore

   3 more examples

   Murray ("App. Méd.," t. I., p. 789) gives a numerous list of physicians who have found advantage from the use of wild pansy in treating the crusta lactea of children.

   1880, Armand Trousseau, Treatise on therapeutics v.2, page 130

   They have all purple or blue flowers, but the Wild Pansy differs in more striking fashion from the others.

   1899, Edward Step, The Romance of Wild Flowers: A Companion to the British Flora, page 100

   Chief amongst them is the little annual field pansy, V. arvensis, a plant apparently on the increase since modern farming methods suit it well. It is close to, and often crosses with, the wild pansy, V. tricolor.

   2013, Carol Klein, Wild Flowers: Nature's own to garden grown, page 37

   Synonyms: come-and-cuddle-me, heartsease, Jack-jump-up-and-kiss-me, Johnny-jump-up, kiss-her-in-the-buttery, kiss-me-at-the-gate, love-in-idleness, stepmother

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see wild, pansy.