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

Viola cinerea Boiss.

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Synonims: Viola cinerea Boiss. var. cinerea 

Description: Ashy white, prostrate, densely pubescent, perennial herb with hard, branched, tufted stem. Leaves 0.5-1.2 x 0.2-0.7 cm, ovate-oblanceolate, mucronulate, entire. Petiole almost of same length as that of lamina or sometimes little exceeding; stipules 2, opposite, free, c. 3.0 x 0.5-1.0 mm; peduncle tomentose, 0.5-1.5 cm long; bracteoles 2, opposite, situated above the middle of the peduncle, near the flower. Flowers small, c. 0.8 cm long; whitish purple. Sepals 0.1-0.3 x 0.05-0.1 cm, ovate-lanceolate, entire, acute, tomentose. Petals oblong, beard-less, obtuse, entire; spur short, obtuse, straight, 0.1 cm long. Capsule elliptic-oblong, upto 1 cm long, densely tomentose, 6-8-seeded; seeds obovoid, crea¬mish brown, shiny. 

Distributional Range: Native Africa NORTHERN AFRICA: Egypt NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Somalia, Sudan Asia-Temperate ARABIAN PENINSULA: Oman WESTERN ASIA: Afghanistan, Iran Asia-Tropical INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: India, [Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan] Pakistan

Habitat: Rock crevices, gravel or soil banks, limestone areas; 825-2100 m alt. 

Notes: Closely related to Viola stocksii Boiss., but differs in being perennial and ashy white, while Viola Stocksii is annual and glabrous.  

References:

1. Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970-. Flora of [West] Pakistan.

2. Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica.

3. Thulin, M., ed. 1993-. Flora of Somalia.