翠峰堇菜 cui feng jin cai

Herbs perennial, puberulous or rarely glabrescent. Rhizome erect or subhorizontal, rather stout with dry brown scales, 0.5-2 cm, with lateral roots. Stems erect or ascending, 2-12 cm at anthesis, usually with 1 or 2 stipulelike scales in between base and first cauline leaf. Basal leaves few or ephemeral at anthesis; stipules brownish, ovate, 8-10 mm, margin fimbriate-laciniate; petiole 1.7-6 cm; leaf blade cordate-ovate or rarely cordate-reniform, 17-30 × 1.6-2.4 cm, margin crenate, apex acute or rarely obtuse. Cauline leaves usually tufted above 1/3 of plant; leaf blade mostly triangular-ovate, longer than wide, base cordate, apex acute or rarely obtuse. Pedicels slender, usually arising from axils of cauline leaves, 2-8 cm, with opposite bracteoles near apex; bracteoles linear-triangular. Sepals green with purple tints, lanceolate, 5-7 × 1-1.5 mm, margin membranous, apex acuminate; appendages of lateral sepals obtriangular, ca. 1.5 mm, margin irregularly dentate. Petals obovate, to 12 × ca. 5 mm, margin undulate, lateral ones glabrous, anterior petal not recurved; spur 2.5-3 mm. Ovary glabrous; style geniculate at base, beaked in front, with a stigma hole at tip of hole, ca. 3 mm, glabrous. Seeds ovoid, ca. 1.2 mm. Fl. Mar-Apr, fr. May-Sep.

● Taiwan (Nantou).

Viola obtusa var. obtusa occurs in Japan.