Viola biflora var. biflora(alpine yellow-violet, "Kibananokomanotsume")
Japanese name: キバナノコマノツメ（黄花駒の爪） Scientific name:Viola biflora var. biflora
[Overview]
A violet found in damp, rocky places at forest edges and in grasslands from the subalpine to alpine zones, a perennial 5–20 cm tall.
It has short, creeping underground stems.
It has thin green aerial stems.
One to three leaves grow from the base and remain at flowering time; they are round to reniform-round, 1–2.5 cm long and 1–3.5 cm wide, with low wavy serrations on the margins.
The leaves are not glossy, and hairs grow on the surface and margins.
The petioles are 2–10 cm long, and the stipules are entire or finely serrated.
One or two flowers are borne at the tip of an erect flower stalk 2–5 cm long arising from a leaf axil; they are yellow, about 1.5–2 cm across, and open facing sideways.
The upper and lateral petals curve backward.
The lip petal has brown streaks.
The spur is very short, 0.1–0.2 cm long.
The style is divided in a Y shape and has no papillae.
The fruit is a capsule that splits into 3 when ripe and scatters the seeds.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by division.
It prefers well-drained soil.
Provide a sunny environment from autumn to spring, and a cool, partially shaded one in summer.
Also protect it from cold winter winds.
[Notes]
The name compares the shape of the leaves to a horseshoe.
