Viola shiweii

Description. Perennial herb, acaulescent, with stolons. Rhizome short, straight or oblique, densely noded, usually covered by brown remains of stipules. Stipules free, brown, broadly lanceolate, 5 - 10 mm long, margin long fimbriate-dentate, lobes remotely dentate. Basal leaves glabrous, slightly grooved, with petioles stout, petioles unequal in length; blade thick leathery, ovate or suborbicular, 15 - 30 x 15 - 20 mm, base deep cordate, apex usually obtuse, abaxially green, scabrous, abaxially greyish-green, mid-vein distinct above, glabrous on both surfaces, margin glandular-serrate or shallowly glandular-crenate, slightly wavy, teeth obtuse at the apex; stolon leaves scattered, smaller. Pedicel equal to or longer than petiole, two bracts narrowly lanceolate, at the middle or lower part of the pedicel. Sepals 5, ca. 6 mm long and 2 mm wide, lanceolate, glabrous, margin narrowly membranous, apex somewhat acute, base distinctly decurrent, apex obtuse or shallowly dentate. Flower 1.5 - 2.5 cm in diameter, petals 5, white, posterior and lateral ones obovate, ca. 1.2 cm x 5 mm, narrow at the base, lateral petals purplish near the middle, glabrous, anterior petal shorter, ca. 10 mm (spur included) long, oblong, purple-veined, apex rounded, obtuse, spur saccate, 2 - 3 mm long and 1.5 mm wide. Style clavate, base geniculate, stigmas flattened on top, narrowly margined on lateral sides and abaxially, shortly beaked ventrally. Capsule ellipsoid, valves carinate, ca. 10 mm long and 2.5 mm wide, glabrous. Seeds black, ca. 2 mm long and 1 mm in diameter.