Dogtooth violet / Pasji zub

Description:

Itis a small herbaceous flowering plant in the Liliaceae.It 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 are yellow tinted at the base. The brown spotted leaves are ovate to lanceolate and grow in pairs. The cormous white rootstocks are oblong and resemble a dog's tooth in appearance; hence the name.

Habitat:

It can be found growing in shady and humid undergrowth of mountane southern Europe, where it is the only naturally occurring species.

Notes:

Its leaves may be consumed raw in salad, or boiled as a leaf vegetable. The corm is also the source of a starch used in making vermicelli.