About Viola cunninghamii Hook.fil.
Viola cunninghamii is a perennial herb characterized by a slender, branching rhizome. It produces a tufted rosette of clustered leaves. Leaf blades typically range from triangular-ovate to sub-orbicular, with diameters between 10 and 20 mm. Leaf edges have slightly indistinct crenate margins, and leaf stalks are longer than the leaf blade itself. Flowers of Viola cunninghamii grow singly on elongated stalks that exceed the length of the leaves. These delicate flowers are white or pale violet, and measure about 6 to 10 mm long. A notable feature is the short, blunt spur on the rear petal of the flower. Flowering typically occurs between November and February. The fruit of this herb is a capsule that splits into three valves when it reaches maturity. The species has a chromosome count of 2n = 48. When identifying Viola cunninghamii among other Viola species in Tasmania, it can be distinguished by several key traits: it is a rhizomatous species, its anterior petal is spurred rather than only pouched, and its leaves are rounded, unlike the lanceolate or oblong leaves of other similar species. Viola cunninghamii has a widespread Oceanic distribution, occurring in New Zealand, Tasmania, and the Chatham Islands. It grows in elevated mountain habitats, including alpine herbfields, grasslands, and grassy heaths.
