日本球果堇菜 ri ben qiu guo jin cai

Viola hirta Linnaeus var. japonica Maximowicz.

Plants 3-8 cm tall at anthesis, pubescent. Rhizome thick, creeping, nodes closely spaced. Stolons creeping, producing new individuals. Radical leaves in summer larger than those in spring, usually present in winter; leaf blade to 6-7 × 6-7 cm. Petiole 2-8 cm, pubescent. Stipules broadly lanceolate, margins fimbriate; leaf blade orbicular-cordate to reniform, 1.5-4 × 1.5-4 cm, both surfaces pubescent, base cordate, margin crenate, apex rounded. Pedicel radical or cauline, 3-8 cm. Flowers light violet or white, 1-1.5 cm in diam. Sepals ovate, pubescent, apex obtuse, basal auricles ca. 1 mm. Petals 1-1.3 cm; lateral ones sparsely shortly bearded or glabrous, slightly purple striate; lowest petal purple-striate; spur 3-4.5 mm, 2-3 mm longer than base auricles. Ovary pilose; style hooked at apex. Pedicel curved in fruit. Capsule globose, 5-6 mm in diam., densely pubescent. Fl. Mar-May, fr. Jul-Sep. 2n = 20.

Mixed forests near streams; 900-1300 m. Chongqing, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, S Shaanxi, Zhejiang [Japan, Korea].