taxonID	type	description	language	source
BD86D211828D5485A0C45146FC62FC3C.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. Viola xinchengensis is most similar to V. lucens, but differs from the latter by its stipules margin long fimbriate-dentate (vs. fimbriate-dentate), stolon absent (vs. stolon slender, often producing a new plant at the top) and sepals 4 – 6 mm, glabrous (vs. 2.5 – 3 mm, villous). Viola xinchengensis is similar to V. fargesii, but it can be easily distinguished by its pedicels sparsely white villous (vs. densely spreading white puberulous) and sepals 4 – 6 mm, glabrous (vs. 7 – 9 mm, puberulous). More detailed morphological differences amongst the three similar species are shown in Table 2.	en	Wei, Gui-Yuan, Xu, Chuan-Gui, Li, Ying-Jing, Feng, Bin, Hu, Qi-Min, Yang, Chao, Qu, Xin-Cheng, Nong, You (2025): Viola xinchengensis (Violaceae), a new species from central Guangxi, China. PhytoKeys 253: 143-154, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.253.128972
BD86D211828D5485A0C45146FC62FC3C.taxon	description	Description. Perennial herbs, small, 5 – 10 cm tall; rhizome erect, sometimes elongate, with short internodes, ca. 2 mm, lateral stem and stolon absent. Leaves nearly basal; stipules adnate to petioles for about 1 / 8 at base, brown, lanceolate, 5 – 7 mm × 1 – 2 mm, margin long fimbriate-dentate, apex acuminate. Petiole 1.5 – 3.5 cm, villous, narrowly winged only in the upper part. Leaf blade ovate, 1.5 – 2.5 cm × 1.5 – 2 cm, apex acute, base cordate, margin crenate, both surfaces densely villous. Pedicels much exceeding the leaves, glabrous or sparsely villous, 2 - bracteolate above middle; bracteoles opposite, linear, 6 – 8 mm, margin villous. Sepals ovate-lanceolate, entire, 4 – 6 mm, apex acuminate, basal auricles short, ca. 2 mm, glabrous. Flower 1.0 – 1.5 cm in diameter, petals 5, white with purple or purplish, posterior and lateral ones oblong-obovate, ca. 7 – 8 mm × 3 – 5 mm, narrow at the base, lateral petals white with purple, lateral ones bearded, anterior one boat-shaped, 5 – 8 mm (spur included); spur saccate, short, 1.5 – 2 mm, ca. 2 mm in diam. Anthers ca. 1.2 mm, connective appendages ca. 0.5 mm; nectariferous glands broadly triangular, ca. 0.5 mm. Ovary ovoid, glabrous; style clavate, base slightly geniculate, thickened upwards, slightly flat at the apex, conspicuously margined on lateral sides, shortly beaked in front, with a stigma hole open upwards at the tip of the beak. Cleistogamous flowers ca 1.5 mm long; bracteoles linear, 6 – 8 mm, margin villous, acuminate at the apex. Sepals green, entire, 4 – 6 mm, apex acuminate. Petal 1, ovate, white with purple, 1.0 – 1.5 cm long. Capsule ovoid, dehiscence explosive, ca. 5 mm, glabrous. Seeds brown, ovoid, 1 mm, densely covered with tubercles.	en	Wei, Gui-Yuan, Xu, Chuan-Gui, Li, Ying-Jing, Feng, Bin, Hu, Qi-Min, Yang, Chao, Qu, Xin-Cheng, Nong, You (2025): Viola xinchengensis (Violaceae), a new species from central Guangxi, China. PhytoKeys 253: 143-154, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.253.128972
BD86D211828D5485A0C45146FC62FC3C.taxon	etymology	Etymology. The specific epithet “ xinchengensis ” refers to the type locality, Xincheng County (忻城县), which is situated in central Guangxi, southwest China.	en	Wei, Gui-Yuan, Xu, Chuan-Gui, Li, Ying-Jing, Feng, Bin, Hu, Qi-Min, Yang, Chao, Qu, Xin-Cheng, Nong, You (2025): Viola xinchengensis (Violaceae), a new species from central Guangxi, China. PhytoKeys 253: 143-154, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.253.128972
BD86D211828D5485A0C45146FC62FC3C.taxon	distribution	Distribution and habitat. The new species is known only from central Guangxi, China (Fig. 5). It has been found mainly on the cliff at the bottom of a sinkhole at elevations of 370 m. It usually grows with Begonia pseudoleprosa C. I Peng & al. and Primulina sclerophylla (W. T. Wang) Yan Liu on the damp cliffs.	en	Wei, Gui-Yuan, Xu, Chuan-Gui, Li, Ying-Jing, Feng, Bin, Hu, Qi-Min, Yang, Chao, Qu, Xin-Cheng, Nong, You (2025): Viola xinchengensis (Violaceae), a new species from central Guangxi, China. PhytoKeys 253: 143-154, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.253.128972
