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

Viola diffusa Ging. 

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Synon.: Viola diffusa var. brevibarbata C. J. Wang; V. diffusa var. brevisepala W. Becker; V. diffusa var.glabella H. Boissieu; V. diffusa var. glaberrima W. Becker; V. diffusa subsp. tenuis (Bentham) W. Becker; V. diffusa var. tomentosa W. Becker; V. diffusoides C. J. Wang; V. tenuis Bentham; V. wilsonii W. Becker 

Common name:  七星莲 qi xing lian ; ツクシスミレ Tsukusi  (or Tsukushi ) sumire

Description: Herbs annual, stiffly hairy or white puberulous throughout, or subglabrous, rarely glabrous, producing stolon at anthesis. Stolon with rosulate leaves at top, usually producing adventitious roots. Rhizome short, with numerous white rootlets and fibrous roots. Basal leaves numerous, fasciculate and rosulate, or alternate on stolon; stipules adnate to petioles at base, 2/3 free, linear-lanceolate, 4-12 mm, margin remotely denticulate or fimbriate-dentate, apex acuminate; petiole 2-4.5 cm, conspicuously winged, usually puberulous; leaf blade ovate or ovate-oblong, 1.5-3.5 × 1-2 cm, both surfaces densely white puberulous on young leaves, later gradually sparsely so, but still densely puberulous along veins and margin, or glabrous, base broadly cuneate or truncate, rarely shallowly cordate, conspicuously decurrent to petiole, margin obtusely dentate and ciliate, apex obtuse or ± acute. Flowers purplish or yellowish, small, long pedicellate, in basal leaf axils and leaf axils of stolon; pedicels 1.5-8.5 cm, slender, glabrous or sparsely puberulous, 2-bracteolate at middle; bracteoles linear. Sepals lanceolate, 4-5.5 mm, apex acute, basal auricles short, margin sparsely ciliate, apex rounded or remotely denticulate. Lateral petals obovate or oblong-obovate, 6-8 mm, glabrous or shortly bearded, anterior one ca. 6 mm (spur included), conspicuously shorter than other petals, apex acute; spur very short, only ca. 1.5 mm, slightly exserted out of basal auricles of sepals; spur of 2 anterior stamens triangular, short, broad. Ovary glabrous; styles clavate, slightly geniculate, gradually thickened in upper part; stigmas thickly margined on lateral sides and abaxially, slightly raised in central part, shortly beaked in front. Capsule oblong, 6-7 mm, ca. 3 mm in diam., glabrous, often with persistent styles. Seeds ca. 1 mm. Fl. Mar-May, fr. May-Oct. 2n = 26*, 74*. 

Distributional Range: Native Asia-Temperate CHINA: China [Zhejiang Sheng, Fujian Sheng, Henan Sheng, Hebei Sheng, Hunan Sheng, Hubei Sheng, Gansu Sheng, Jiangxi Sheng, Guangdong Sheng, Guizhou Sheng, Shaanxi Sheng, Sichuan Sheng, Yunnan Sheng, Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu, Xizang Zizhiqu] EASTERN ASIA: Japan, [Okinawa, Kyushu] Taiwan Asia-Tropical INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: Bhutan, India, [Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh] Nepal PAPUASIA: New Guinea INDO-CHINA: Myanmar MALESIA: Philippines

Habitat: Mountain forests, forest margins, grassy slopes, stream valleys, rock crevices; below 2000 m.  

References:

1. Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1959-. Flora reipublicae popularis sinicae.

2. Editorial Committee of the Flora of Taiwan. 1993-. Flora of Taiwan, ed. 2.

3. Grierson, A. J. C. & D. J. Long. 1984-. Flora of Bhutan including a record of plants from Sikkim.

4. Hara, H. et al. 1978-1982. An enumeration of the flowering plants of Nepal. Note: lists as Viola diffusa Ging. ex DC.

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

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

7. Li, H. L. et al., eds. 1975-1979. Flora of Taiwan.

8. Missouri Botanical Garden. Flora of China Checklist (on-line resource).

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

10. Sharma, B. D. et al., eds. 1993-. Flora of India.

11. Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.

12. Wang, J. C. & T. C. Huang. 1990. Notes on the flora of Taiwan (9) the Viola L. (Violaceae). Taiwania 35:32.