Viola lucens W. Becker

Herbs perennial, small, 5-7 cm tall, white villous throughout, acaulescent, stoloniferous. Rhizome erect, ca. 2 mm in diam., densely noded, with numerous rootlets. Stolon slender, often producing new plant at top. Leaves basal, rosulate; stipules brown, lanceolate, margin fimbriate-dentate; petioles unequal in length, 0.2-2.5 cm, slender, densely villous; leaf blade oblong-ovate or oblong, 1-2(-3) × 0.5-1.3 cm, both surfaces densely white villous, base cordate or rounded, margin crenate, apex obtuse. Flowers light bluish violet; pedicels much exceeding leaves, 3-4 cm, slender, sparsely puberulous, 2-bracteolate above middle-bracteolate at middle; bracteoles opposite, linear. Sepals narrowly lanceolate, 2.5-3 × ca. 1 mm, margin narrowly membranous, basal auricles short, only ca. 0.5 mm. Upper and lateral petals obovate, 1-1.1 cm, lateral ones glabrous, anterior one boat-shaped, ca. 9 mm (spur included), apex acute; spur ca. 1.5 mm. Ovary globose, glabrous; styles clavate, base geniculate, thickened at apex; stigmas narrowly margined on lateral sides, apex shortly beaked. Capsule ovoid-orbicular, ca. 0.5 cm, glabrous. Fl. Feb-Apr and Aug-Sep.

Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi.

● Grassy places, forest margins, crevices; sea level to 1800 m.