Sweet Violet

Frequently cultivated in gardens, up to 1900 m; occasionally found as an escape.

Herbs perennial, acaulescent, stoloniferous, 3-15 cm tall. Rhizome erect or oblique, brownish, robust, densely noded, with numerous roots and slender, long stolons produced from nodes. Leaves basal; leaf blade orbicular or reniform to broadly ovate-cordate, smaller at anthesis, 1.5-2.5 × 1.5-2.5 cm, gradually accrescent, to 4.5 × 4.5 cm, both surfaces sparsely puberulous or subglabrous, base deeply cordate, margin crenate, apex rounded or ± acute. Flowers deep purple, large, fragrant; pedicels long, slender, puberulous or subglabrous, 2-bracteolate at or above middle. Sepals oblong or oblong-ovate, base obtuse or shallowly dentate, apex obtuse, basal auricles 2-3 mm. Petals crenate, upper ones obovate, lateral ones inside shortly bearded, anterior one broadly obovate, 1.5-2 cm (spur included); spur 2-4 mm, straight or slightly curved; spurs of 2 anterior stamens robust, ca. 4 mm. Ovary puberulous; styles slender and straight at base, thickened upward and slightly compressed, apically curved and with a hooked beak about as long as diameter of styles, with a smaller stigma hole at tip of beak. Capsule globose, densely puberulous. Fl. Apr-May, fr. Jun-Sep. 2n = 20, 60.

Prostrate, acauline annual to perennial herb with erect scapes. Rhizome long, pointed, branched, slender, giving rise to a stoloniferous stern. Leaves 2.0-3.5 x 1.5-3.0 cm, broadly ovate, obtuse, hairy, cordate, serrate, 5-7-veined, sinus deep, petiole covered with deflexed hairs, often twice or thrice the length of lamina, upto 15 cm long; stipules free, broad lanceolate to ovate, acuminte, fringed or fimbriate. Flowers odorous, violet, upto 2.0 cm long on upto 20 cm long peduncle. Sepals 4.0-7.0 x 1.0-3.0 mm, ovate, obtuse, entire, cuneate. Petals obovate-oblong, obtuse, entire, up to 12 mm long, c. 5.0 mm broad; lateral petal 11-16 x 7.0 mm, large, oblong, obtuse, entire, spur straight or subcurvate, obtuse, c. 4 mm long. Ovary globose, 2.5-3.0 x 1.0-2.0 mm, glabrous, style 3.0-4.0 x 0.5-1 mm, laterally compressed, stigma beaked, beak directed forward. Capsule globose, 3-6-angled.

Distribution: Pakistan, India, Iran Afghanistan, Iraq, Mediterranean region and Caucasia.

Fl. Per.: March-July.

Cultivated in large cities including Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Tianjin. Guangdong, Hebei, Shaanxi, Zhejiang [native to N Africa, C and SW Asia, and Europe].