白花堇菜 bai hua jin cai

Viola limprichtiana W. Becker.

Herbs perennial, acaulescent, 10-18 cm tall. Rhizome erect or obliquely ascending, slightly robust, shortly and densely noded, with several, scattered, long, yellowish roots. Leaves numerous, basal; stipules conspicuous, greenish or brownish, submembranous, adnate to petiole above middle, free part linear-lanceolate, ca. 4 mm wide, margin remotely denticulate or entire; petiole 1-6 cm, wingless, those of lower leaves shorter, those of upper leaves longer; leaf blade narrowly triangular or oblong, those of lower leaves 2-3 × 1.5-2.5 cm, those of upper leaves 4-5 × 1.5-2.5 cm, both surfaces glabrous, veins conspicuously raised abaxially, base shallowly cordate or truncate, sometimes slightly hastate, margin obtusely crenate, apex obtuse. Flowers white, medium-sized, 1.5-1.9 cm; pedicels not or slightly exceeding leaves, 2-bracteolate at or above middle; bracteoles linear. Sepals ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, 5-7 mm, apex acuminate, basal auricles short and conspicuous, margin narrowly membranous, 3-veined, margin obtusely dentate or entire, apex truncate. Petals obovate, lateral ones distinctly bearded, anterior one broader, apex not emarginate; spur cylindric, 4-5 mm, ca. 3 mm in diam., apex rounded. Anthers ca. 2 mm, subequaling appendage of connectives; spur of 2 anterior stamens shortly angular, ca. 2.5 mm, apex gradually smaller. Ovary glabrous; styles clavate, base slender, slightly geniculate forward, gradually thickened upward; stigmas slightly thickened on lateral sides and abaxially and narrowly margined, shortly beaked in front, with a smaller stigma hole at tip of beak. Capsule ellipsoid, 6-9 mm, glabrous, apex often with persistent styles. Seeds brownish, ovoid-globose, ca. 1.5 mm, glabrous. Fl. Mar-Apr. 2n = 48.

Grassy slopes or wasteland; below 500 m. Jiangsu, Jiangxi, S Liaoning, Zhejiang [Japan (?naturalized), Korea].