Vasilis Teodoridis:
Violaceae | Viola
26. Viola diffusa Gingins in Candolle; Prodr. 1: 298. 1824.
??? qi xing lian
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.
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 x 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*.
Mountain forests; forest margins; grassy slopes; stream valleys; rock crevices; below 2000 m. Anhui; Chongqing; Fujian; SE Gansu; Guangdong; Guangxi; Guizhou; Hainan; Henan; Hubei; Hunan; Jiangsu; Jiangxi; S Shaanxi; Sichuan; Taiwan; Xizang; Yunnan; Zhejiang [Bhutan; Japan; India; Indonesia; Malaysia; Myanmar; Nepal; Papua New Guinea; Philippines; Thailand; Vietnam