What is "viola arvensis"

Heart's-ease \Heart's"-ease`\ (h[aum]rts"[=e]z`), n.

1. Ease of heart; peace or tranquillity of mind or feeling.
   --Shak.

2. (Bot.) A species of violet ( Viola tricolor), a common and long cultivated European herb from which most common garden pansies are derived; -- called also pansy.

   Syn: wild pansy, Johnny-jump-up, heartsease, love-in-idleness, pink of my John, Viola tricolor.

3. (Bot.) A violet of the Pacific coast of North America ( Viola ocellata) having white petals tinged with yellow and deep violet. [WordNet sense 2]

   Syn: two-eyed violet, heartsease, Viola ocellata.

4. (Bot.) A common Old World viola ( Viola arvensis) with creamy often violet-tinged flowers. [WordNet sense 3]

   Syn: field pansy, heartsease, Viola arvensis.

Viola arvensis is a species of violet known by the common name field pansy. It is native to Europe, western Asia, and North Africa, and it is known on other continents as an introduced species and a weed of disturbed and cultivated areas.

Viola arvensis was shown to contain cyclotides, a class of peptides found in plants. The peptide cycloviolacin O2 in particular has shown to possess cytotoxic activity against human cancer cells and is therefore looked at as a potential drug lead.