Viola hancockii W. Becker

Herbs perennial, acaulescent, 10-15 cm tall. Rhizome 1.5-2 cm, robust, 4-6 mm in diam., densely noded. Roots deep brown, long, robust, often branched, longest to 13 cm, with numerous rootlets. Leaves numerous, basal; outer stipules white, 1-1.3 cm × ca. 4 mm, membranous, inner ones ca. 3/4 adnate to petiole, free part broadly lanceolate or lanceolate, margin remotely shortly dentate; petiole slender, wingless, equaling or slightly exceeding blades, sparsely puberulous or glabrous; leaf blade abaxially pink to pinkish green, adaxially green or conspicuously white punctate-striate along veins, ovate-cordate, 2-6 × 2-4 cm, abaxially sparsely puberulous at base or subglabrous, veins conspicuously raised, adaxially sparsely puberulous, base deeply cordate, sinus narrow or slightly spreading, margin regularly obtusely serrate, apex acute, sometimes obtuse. Flowers whitish, large, to 2 cm; pedicels usually not or sometimes slightly exceeding leaves, 2-bracteolate at middle; bracteoles alternate, linear, 8-10 mm, margin remotely denticulate, apex acuminate. Sepals lanceolate or broadly lanceolate, 7-8 × ca. 3 mm, apex acute, basal auricles short, ca. 1.5 mm, remotely obtusely dentate, apex truncate. Petals oblong-obovate, upper ones ca. 1.2 × 0.8 cm, lateral ones bearded, ca. 1.2 × 1 cm, anterior one 1.8-2 cm (spur included); spur cylindric, 6-8 mm, apex rounded, usually curved upward; spur of anterior stamens angular, 4-5 mm, slender. Ovary subglobose, glabrous; styles slightly geniculate at base; stigmas flat at apex, with slightly thick margin, shortly beaked in front, with a small stigma hole at tip. Capsule oblong, 0.7-1 cm, glabrous. Fl. Apr-May, fr. Jun-Sep. 2n = 24*.

Gansu, Hebei, Henan, Jiangsu, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi.

● Broad-leaved forests, forest margins, streamsides; 200-1800 m.

Viola hancockii var. fangshanensis J. W. Wang.