Viola davidii Franch.

Herbs perennial, nearly acaulescent, 7-10 cm tall, glabrous. Rhizome obliquely ascending, shortly noded, with dense rootlets. Stolon developed, 10-15 cm, with scattered leaves and flowers, producing adventitious roots at nodes, top usually developing into a new plant. Leaves nearly basal; stipules mostly free, brown, broadly lanceolate, 1-1.5 cm, adaxially brown striate, margin remotely fimbriate-dentate, apex long acuminate; petioles unequal in length, longest to 5 cm; leaf blade abaxially often glaucous, adaxially greenish, ovate or ovate-orbicular, 2-7 × 1.5-3.5 cm, both surfaces glabrous, with brown glandular dots when dry, base deeply cordate, margin shallowly 6-8-crenate on each side, apex rounded or acute. Flowers white or purplish; pedicels exceeding or subequaling leaves, 2-bracteolate above middle; bracteoles linear. Sepals lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, 5-6 × 1.5-2 mm, apex acute, basal auricles short, margin narrowly membranous, apex truncate. Petals oblong-obovate, 7-8 mm, lateral ones bearded, anterior one shorter; spur saccate, short, 1.5-2 mm, ca. 2 mm in diam.; spur of anterior stamens oblong, short, subequaling anthers, ca. 2 mm. Ovary oblong, glabrous; styles clavate, base nearly erect, gradually thickened upward; stigmas conspicuously and broadly margined on lateral sides, beaked in front, beak upward and straight, short, stout, with large stigma hole at tip. Capsule oblong, 5-7 mm, glabrous. Fl. Mar-May and Sep, fr. May-Oct.

Chongqing, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, SE Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang.

● Mountain forests, forest margins, grassy slopes, stream valleys, roadsides; 1200-2800 m.

Viola davidii var. paucicrenata W. Becker; V. schneideri W. Becker; V. smithiana W. Becker.