Viola mirabilis, L.

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1981, Flora Europaea. Volume 2. Rosaceae to Umbelliferae, Cambridge University Press : 273

12. V. mirabilis L. , Sp. Pl. 936 (1753).

Spring leaves in a basal rosette. Stems with a line of hairs, developing in summer to c. 20 cm. Mature leaves 4-8 cm, as wide as long, orbicular, cordate, acute. Stipules 1-2 cm, broadly lanceolate, entire, eventually brown. Open flowers 2 cm, arising from the rosette, fragrant; aerial stems bearing cleistogamous flowers only, on very short peduncles. Sepals acute, with conspicuous appendages. Petals pale violet. Spur 6-8 mm, whitish. Style glabrous. 2« = 20. Mainly in woodland, on base-rich soil. Widespread in Europe, but absent from the islands and much o f the south and west. Au Be Bu Cz Da Fe Ga Ge He Hs Hu It Ju No Po Rm Rs (N, B, C, W, K, E) Su. V. pseudomirabilis Coste , Bull. Soc. Bot. Fr. 40: cxv (1893), from woodland on calcareous soil in S. France (Causse du Larzac, near Millau), is in some ways intermediate between 12 and 18. The stems, 10-30 cm, are glabrous, the leaves shortly acuminate, the stipules ovate-lanceolate and fimbriate, the flowers large and not fragrant. The open flowers are cauline as in 18, not basal as in 12; and the fact that they are fertile and produce capsules (on long peduncles) indicates that the plants are not direct hybrids between 12 and 18. W. Becker, Feddes Repert. 18: 141 (1922), records V. pseudomirabilis from Bulgaria. Further investigation is needed.