Viola reichenbachiana 早花犬堇菜, 里氏犬堇菜，林地犬堇菜，木紫蘭香

Common name: Early Dog-Violet
Scientific name: Viola reichenbachiana 早花犬堇菜, 里氏犬堇菜，林地犬堇菜，木紫蘭香
Genus: Viola 堇菜屬
Family: Violaceae 堇菜科, violet family

Remarks:  The name "early" refer this species flowers first, about three weeks before the common dog-violet, V. riviniana 里文堇菜. "Dog-violets" are so-called because they are scentless, as opposed to sweet violet, V. odorata 香堇菜, and were therefore considered as fit only for dogs. Dog, like horse, is a common English prefix for distinguishing an inferior species from its superior relative. The specific name reichenbachiana comes from a German Botanist, Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach, who specialised in Orchids.

Origin: native

Date:  18th March

plant with basal rosette of leaves

leaves ovate

flower bud

sepal lobes smaller, <1.5mm; corolla spur darker than petals
(vs sepal lobes smaller, >1.5mm; corolla spur paler than petals in V. riviniana 里文堇菜, the common dog-violet);

petiole glabrous

flower looked from below: spur not notched at tip; 2 lateral petals spreading horizontally