Viola faurieana ("Terihatachitsubosumire")

Japanese name: テリハタチツボスミレ （照葉立壷菫）
Scientific name: Viola faurieana

[Overview]
A violet found on the Sea of Japan side of Honshu, a perennial.
It grows mainly in deciduous forests in low mountains below 1,000 m in elevation and often forms colonies.
A long, thick rhizome creeps horizontally and becomes woody.
It has aboveground stems, which after flowering creep along the ground and grow long, forming young plantlets at the tips.
There are basal leaves and leaves arranged alternately on the stem; the basal leaves are ovate to ovate-triangular, 2–5 cm long, leathery, dark green to blackish green and glossy on the upper surface, with low wavy serrations on the margin.
The stipules are pinnately divided.
Summer leaves grow large, up to 7 cm long.
The flowers are borne at the tips of erect flower stalks, about 1.5–2 cm across, pale purple, and open facing sideways.
The center of the lip petal is white with dark purple streaks.
A rather long, thick spur extends behind the flower, and nectar collects there.
The fruit is a capsule that splits into 3 when ripe and scatters the seeds.

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