Family |
Violaceae
Viola sieheana
W.Becker
Viola sieheana W. Becker
(Bull. Herb. Boissier, sér. 2, 2: 751; 1902 – Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 2, Pl. CLXXIV nº 4; 1969)
• Life-form & habit: Perennial herb 5–15 cm tall, forming small tufts from a short rhizome. Stems slender, ascending or decumbent at the base, often rooting at the nodes. Plant glabrous or sparsely pubescent, with delicate morphology typical of mountain violets.
• Leaves: Basal leaves ovate to cordate, 10–25 × 6–15 mm, crenate-serrate, glabrous or with fine hairs along veins beneath; petioles slender, 1–3 cm long. Stipules linear-lanceolate, fimbriate. Cauline leaves smaller, alternate, and shortly petiolate.
• Inflorescence & flowers: Solitary, axillary, on slender peduncles usually exceeding the leaves. Corolla 10–15 mm across, violet to lilac, sometimes bluish; lateral petals bearded within; spur conical to slightly curved, 3–4 mm long, whitish or pale violet. Sepals lanceolate, with narrow appendages. Style thickened above, stigma terminal, with a small beak.
• Fruit: Capsule ovoid, 4–6 mm, glabrous, dehiscing elastically into three valves; seeds small, smooth, light brown, with an elaiosome.
• Phenology: Flowers from March to May; fruits mature soon after flowering.
• Habitat & elevation: Rocky slopes, mountain meadows, and open woodland edges on limestone or dolomite, 600–2 000 m; prefers cool, semi-shaded exposures.
• Lebanese distribution: Recorded by Mouterde from Mount Lebanon and the Anti-Lebanon — notably Dahr el-Baïdar, Barouk, and the Sannine and Ras Baalbeck slopes; common in montane grasslands and cedar forest clearings.
• Native range: Bulgaria, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., Greece, Krym, Lebanon, Syria, Romania, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe (POWO).
• ⚠️ Taxonomic note: A characteristic species of the Viola tricolor group, distinguished by its smaller flowers, narrow sepals, and short, conical spur. Sometimes misidentified as Viola kitaibeliana Schult., but that species has shorter peduncles and paler corollas. V. sieheana is a typical element of the eastern Mediterranean montane flora.