kingdom Plantae - plants » divisio Magnoliophyta - flowering plants » class Rosopsida - eudicots » order Malpighiales » family Violaceae » tribus Violeae > genus Viola > Viola sect. Viola L. > Viola subsect. Viola L.
Distributional Range: Native Europe SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Former Yugoslavia (w.), Greece
Description: Perennial, 2.5 to 8 cm, acaulescent, herbaceous plant, with short, lignifying and thick erect rhizome, without stolons, often covered by withered leaf bases.
V. chelmea is Balkan endemic plant, distributed in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Republic of Macedonia and Greece . Within the species, two subspecies were recognized: Viola chelmea subsp. chelmea and Viola chelmea subsp. vratnikensis Gáyer & Degen
subsp. chelmea Present only in Greece in the following regions and localities: South Pindhos (Mt. Athamanon, Mt. Liakoura, Mt. Pteri,Mt. Tsoumerka, Mt. Voutsikáki), Sterea Ellas (Mt. Chelidon, Mt.Dhirfis, Mt. Giona, Mt. Kalliakóuda, Mt. Xirovouni) and Peloponnisos (Mt. Chelmos, Mt. Erymanthos, Mt. Killini, Mt. Menalon, Mt. Taygetos)
subsp. vratnikensis Gáyer & Degen (= V. vilaensis Hayek) Distributed in Croatia (Mt. Velebit, Mt. Dinara, Mt. Svilaja and Mt. Biokovo), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mt. Dinara, Mt. Čabulja and Mt. Velež ) Montenegro (Mt. Orjen, Mt. Kučke) , Albania (Mt. Grammos and Mts Bjeshkët e Namuna and Prespa Park) and Republic of Macedonia (Mts Šar-Planina, Mt. Bistra, Mt. Dešat, Mt. Galičica, Mt. Jablanica)
References:
Niketic M et al. Viola chelmea and Viola jooi (Violaceae), new species for the flora of Serbia and their distribution in the Balkan Peninsula and the Carpathians Bulletin of the Natural History Museum, 2015, 8: 49-74. 10.5937/bnhmb1508049N
Fig. 1. – Distribution of the species Viola chelmea Boiss. & Heldr. in the Balkan Peninsula. V. chelmea subsp. vratnikensis Gáyer & Degen (red marks), V. chelmea subsp. chelmea (black marks); indication of locations: full circle - according to literature and herbarium data; circle with white spot - according to herbarium new chorological data only; circle with gray/black spot - according to literature data only; ? - doubtful records (V. prenja Beck).
Fig. 2. – Viola chelmea Boiss. subsp. chelmea – herbarium specimens from Mt. Chelmos (Peloponnisos, Greece)
Fig. 3. – Viola chelmea subsp. vratnikensis Gáyer & Degen in flower: a) plant from Mt. Orjen, Zubački Kabao (SW Montenegro); b-d) plants from Mt. Bijela Gora (SW Montenegro)
Fig. 4. – Viola chelmea subsp. vratnikensis Gáyer & Degen in fruit: a) Mt. Ošljak, Popovo Prase (S Serbia, Metohija) – species habitat; b-c) plants from Mt. Jablanica, Malo Sedlo (SW Macedonia); d-e) herbarium specimens from Mt. Jablanica, Malo Sedlo (SW Macedonia)