Viola tokubuchiana var. takedana f. variegata("Fuirihinasumire")
Japanese name: フイリヒナスミレ（斑入雛菫） Scientific name:Viola tokubuchiana var. takedana f. variegata
[Overview]
A perennial 5–8 cm tall.
It has a short underground stem.
The leaves spread horizontally.
At flowering time the leaves are 2–5 cm long, long-ovate to lanceolate, with a heart-shaped base, and coarse hairs grow on both surfaces.
White blotches appear on the leaf surface along the veins.
The undersides of the leaves are sometimes tinged with purple.
The leaf margins have low serrations.
The petiole is 3–10 cm.
The flowers are borne at the tips of flower stalks, 1.5–2 cm across, and pale reddish purple.
Sparse hairs grow at the base of the lateral petals.
A spur 6–7 mm long extends behind the flower.
The flower stalks do not elongate much, so the flowers appear to sit on top of the leaves.
The fruit is a capsule that splits into 3 when ripe and scatters the seeds.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by division.
It prefers partial shade and well-drained soil rich in humus.
Water thoroughly when the soil surface dries.
Apply slow-release fertilizer on the soil once in early spring and once after flowering.
Pests and diseases include powdery mildew, aphids, spider mites, armyworms and the Indian fritillary (Argyreus hyperbius) butterfly.
