Viola is a genus of flowering plants in the violet family Violaceae. It is the largest genus in the family, containing between 525 and 600 species. Many species, varieties and cultivars are grown in gardens for their ornamental flowers. In horticulture the term pansy (the name is derived by hybridization from several species in the section Melanium ("the pansies") of the genus Viola), normally used for those multi-colored, large-flowered cultivars which are raised annually or biennially from seed and used extensively in bedding.