''Viola decumbens'' is a

perennial plant A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

with a woody base that is assigned to the violet family. It has linear leaves and

stipule In botany, a stipule is an outgrowth typically borne on both sides (sometimes on just one side) of the base of a leafstalk (the petiole). Stipules are considered part of the anatomy of the leaf of a typical flowering plant, although in many speci ...

s. The

bilaterally symmetrical Symmetry in biology refers to the symmetry observed in organisms, including plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria. External symmetry can be easily seen by just looking at an organism. For example, take the face of a human being which has a pla ...

purple flowers have five

petal Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corolla''. Petals are usuall ...

s and a spur. It grows in fynbos and is an

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...

species of the southern

Western Cape The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...

province of South Africa, where it is called wild violet, a name used for other species elsewhere in the world.

Description

''Viola decumbens'' is a small shrub with very fine granules on its green parts, and a woody base. The erect branching stems are up to high. It carries alternately set, slightly succulent, linear, green leaves long and ½—2 mm (0.02—0.08 in) wide with a pointed tip and an entire margin. The bracts (or

s) to the right and left of the foot of the leaf proper are also linear, clinging to the leaf blade (or

adnate Adnate may refer to: * Adnation, in botany, the fusion of two or more whorls of a flower * Adnate, in mycology, a classification of lamellae (gills) * Conjoined twins Conjoined twins – sometimes popularly referred to as Siamese twins – are ...

), and with a small tooth on each side at the base. cited on The somewhat scented, nodding flowers grow individually from the leaf axils on long flower stalks (or

pedicels In botany, a pedicel is a stem that attaches a single flower to the inflorescence. Such inflorescences are described as ''pedicellate''. Description Pedicel refers to a structure connecting a single flower to its inflorescence. In the absenc ...

) so the flowers are above the leaves, with two small bracts almost opposite each other in the upper part of the stalk. The five

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined ...

s are narrowly oval in shape with a pointed tip and are long. The five petals are purple or violet, veined, with the four upper ones oblong and long, the lower one shorter and connected to a long, tube-shaped, blunt

spur A spur is a metal tool designed to be worn in pairs on the heels of riding boots for the purpose of directing a horse or other animal to move forward or laterally while riding. It is usually used to refine the riding aids (commands) and to ba ...

. The orange

anthers The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filam ...

hang together (in jargon

connivent Connation in plants is the developmental fusion of organs of the same type, for example, petals to one another to form a tubular corolla. This is in contrast to adnation, the fusion of dissimilar organs. Such organs are described as connate or adna ...

), and two have extensions that reach into the spur and produce nectar. The

ovary The ovary is an organ in the female reproductive system that produces an ovum. When released, this travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it may become fertilized by a sperm. There is an ovary () found on each side of the bod ...

is globe-shaped, and later develops into an oval

capsule Capsule may refer to: Anatomy * Articular capsule (joint capsule), an envelope surrounding a synovial joint * Bowman's capsule (glomerular capsule), a sac surrounding a glomerulus in a mammalian kidney * Glisson's capsule, a fibrous layer covering ...

long. The capsule contains oval yellow seeds long, with very fine granules. ''Viola decumbens'' flowers from July right through to December in the southern hemisphere.

Taxonomy

The species was first described by

Carl Linnaeus the Younger Carl Linnaeus the Younger, Carolus Linnaeus the Younger, Carl von Linné den yngre (Swedish; abbreviated Carl von Linné d. y.), or ''Linnaeus filius'' ( Latin for ''Linnaeus the son''; abbreviated L.fil. (outdated) or L.f. (modern) as a botani ...

in 1782. New research suggests it belongs to the

section Section, Sectioning or Sectioned may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Section (music), a complete, but not independent, musical idea * Section (typography), a subdivision, especially of a chapter, in books and documents ** Section sign ...

''Xylinosium'', together with two species from the Mediterranean: '' V. arborescens'' and '' V. saxifraga''. The species name ''decumbens'' refers to the fact that the stems are creeping at their base.

Distribution and habitat

''Viola decumbens'' occurs only in the extreme south of the Western Cape, for instance in the Kogelberg and

Hottentots Holland Mountains The Hottentots Holland Mountains are part of the Cape Fold Belt in the Western Cape, South Africa. The mountain range forms a barrier between the Cape Town metropolitan area and the southern Overberg coast. The range is primarily composed of T ...

. It prefers moist sandy soils on low altitude slopes.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q17563688 decumbens Plants described in 1782 Endemic flora of South Africa