Viola arvensis Murray

Annual, with short-lived rosette; stems erect or ascending, with short hairs or glabrous, 7–30 cm tall. Lvs (1)–2–6 cm long, glabrous or with short hairs, with 3–7 crenations each side. Basal lvs broadly ovate, truncately narrowed to long petiole; stipules short, linear-lobed. Stem lvs becoming narrow-elliptic, the uppermost cuneately narrowed to short petiole; stipules usually pinnatifid, 1/2–3/4 lf length, with leaflike terminal lobe, and 3–7 linear lateral lobes. Peduncles erect, glabrous; bracts short, narrowly triangular. Fls 1–2.5 cm diam. Sepals narrowly triangular, acute, 5–8 mm long; appendages 2–3 mm long. Petals cream, the upper < or = the upper sepals, the lowest with yellow or orange blotch and purple veins, the lowest and lateral bearded; spur c. 3 mm long, = sepal appendages. Style geniculate at base, 1 mm long; stigma globose; ligule 0. Capsule ellipsoid, glabrous, 5–10 mm long. Seeds oblong, pale brown, 1.5 mm long.

[From: Webb et al. (1988) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 4.]

Flowering: (Sep.)–Oct.–Feb.–(May); Fruiting: (Sep.)–Oct.–Apr.–(May)