kingdom Plantae - plants »  divisio Magnoliophyta - flowering plants »  class Rosopsida - eudicots » order Malpighiales »  family Violaceae »  tribus Violeae > genus Viola > Viola sect. Plagiostigma Godr.  > Viola subsect. Adnatae W. Becker 

Viola maximowicziana Makino

| Bio Lib | GRIN |Violet in Japan | Japanese Wild Flowers (Violaceae) |

Common name: ko-miyama-sumire [コミヤマスミレ, 小深山菫 (meaning: small mountain viola)]

Description: It is a very small plant, its leaves are almost in contact with the ground, and are only a few centimeters tall. The rhizomes are short and stand, not thick. Shoots adventitious from the roots at the ground. The leaves are 2-3.5 cm long, oval, heart-shaped at the base, and rounded at the edges. The foliage is soft and dull, with sparse hair on the surface. The leaves are dark green, but sometimes purple and dark. In addition, white spots like a rough mesh often appear along the veins. Flowers are white to light purple, slightly small. The flower stalk is 5-10 cm and extends higher than the leaves. It is inconspicuous, but the calyx is warped, a feature rarely found in other violets. The flowering season is around May, and after that it has been actively closed.

Distributional Range: Native Asia-Temperate EASTERN ASIA: Japan [Honshu, Kyushu (north of Yakushima Island ), Shikoku ]

Habitat: Mountane dark wet forest . It is found in a slightly wet valley, on a flat land near mountain streams , and often forms small communities with moss. One of the most shady violets in Japan 

References:

1. Igari, M. 1996. Wild violets of Japan Note: book almost entirely in Japanese

2. Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.

3. Ohwi, J. 1965. Flora of Japan (Engl. ed.).