Viola mandshurica is a perennial species of violet known by the common names dōng běi jǐn cài (zh:东北堇菜) meaning 'northeastern violet' in China, jebikkot (ko:제비꽃) meaning 'sparrow flower' in Korea, and sumire (ja:菫, ja:スミレ) meaning 'violet' in Japan. In Japan, V. mandshurica is considered to be the basic species and other violet species have additional descriptors such as himesumire or nojisumire. Its specific name is derived from Manchuria, an area of its native habitat which has at different times in history included parts of modern China, Korea, Mongolia and the Russian Far East.
It is native to eastern Asia, being found as far west as eastern Siberia, throughout China, Taiwan and Korea, north into Russian North Asia (particularly in and around the Ussuri River Basin), and in much of Japan, including Okinawa. Across its range, this species occurs in a variety of habitats, from undisturbed woodlands to urban areas, and from low-lying plains to mountainous regions. A number of varieties have been developed by horticulturalists and are popular as garden plants. The wild form, and most named varieties and hybrids, prefer a semi-shaded location and humus-enriched soil that is not overly moist.
Viola mandshurica, like many other viola species, does not have a true stem, with leaves and flowers each emerging directly from the ground (actually from its underground rhizome). Its rhizomatous roots are short and thick. The leaves are typically oval-lanceolate to lanceolate; while the color of the leaves is normally a medium green above and below, some cultivars, such as Fuji Dawn, have leaves variegated with white, yellow and/or pink spots, streaks or splotches.
As a violet, its trumpet-shaped flowers have five petals and bilateral symmetry. The lowermost petal is often the smallest, and all petals are typically a rich purple hue, though this can vary due to local conditions or localized mutations, and in some varieties deliberately bred for differing appearance.
Flower pancakes, which may be made with the flowers of V. mandshurica among other species, are an essential part of the Korean Samjinnal festival celebrating the coming of spring.
Named subgroups of v. mandshurica include:
Viola mandshurica is a perennial species of violet known by the common names dōng běi jǐn cài (zh:东北堇菜) meaning 'northeastern violet' in China, jebikkot (ko:제비꽃) meaning 'sparrow flower' in Korea, and sumire (ja:菫, ja:スミレ) meaning 'violet' in Japan. In Japan, V. mandshurica is considered to be the basic species and other violet species have additional descriptors such as himesumire or nojisumire. Its specific name is derived from Manchuria, an area of its native habitat which has at different times in history included parts of modern China, Korea, Mongolia and the Russian Far East.
