Tricolor
/TRY-kol-or/🏷️ Taxonomy● Basic
A pattern epithet indicating the plant displays three clearly distinct colors simultaneously — most often on flowers with three contrasting zones, or on variegated foliage combining green, white, and a third color. Appears as tricolor (both genders).
Etymology
From Latin tri- (three) + color (color), meaning "three-colored."
Example
“Viola tricolor (heartsease or wild pansy) is the most celebrated example — its small flowers combining yellow, purple, and white in the three distinct zones that give both its common and Latin names their meaning.”