Viola lactea, also known by its common name pale dog violet,[3] is a species of flowering planet of the family Violaceae.

The presence of green spurs at the back of its flower and the triangular stipules on its upper leaves being equal or longer in length than the leaf stalks differentiate V. lactea from other similar species.

[5] Viola lactea grows on heathland, and favours areas which are bare or only have short vegetation (due to grazing, burning or other disturbance such as turf cutting).

[7] Within the British Isles, it is now most common in the New Forest, Dorset, Cornwall, Pembrokeshire and County Kerry; it is no longer found in much of its previous range (especially in South East England) due to habitat decline.

[8] It is designated as a species “of principal importance for the purpose of conserving biodiversity” under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006.