taxonID	type	description	language	source
596BF0CFB2D556E790517C09DE27DA7C.taxon	description	Figs 1, 2	en	Huang, Ju-Hua, Zhang, Jian-Hua, Chen, You-Sheng (2025): Viola yuelingensis (Violaceae), a new species from Guangxi, China. PhytoKeys 267: 223-232, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.267.172198
596BF0CFB2D556E790517C09DE27DA7C.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. This species’ creeping stems typically exhibit a dark red coloration with white pubescence. The leaves are ovate or ovate, featuring a narrow, shallowly cordate base, a pointed or gradually tapering apex, and serrated margins covered with white hairs. The reddish-brown midvein protrudes prominently on both leaf surfaces. Petals range from pale purple to white, with lower petals bearing rod-like appendages at their bases and narrow, flattened margins along the style’s upper end. Mature seeds display a distinctive yellowish-brown hue, making this species easily distinguishable from other members of the genus. It differs from Viola yunnanensis in several key features: reduced overall hairiness, serrated leaf margins, reddish-brown midveins with raised leaf surfaces, indistinct lateral veins on upper leaves, lanceolate or cordate stipules (0.5 – 2 cm long, reddish-brown or greenish) with elongated fringed teeth at tips, calyx segments lacking appendages at base ends, and lower petals showing white or pale purple near the base, with purple stripes near the apex (shown in Fig. 3). Viola yuelingensis is similar to V. changii, but it can be easily distinguished by its leaves which are 3 – 5 cm long and 2 – 4 cm wide, with serrate margins (vs. leaves are 1.5 cm long and 1.2 cm wide, with obtusely serrate to subentire margins) and the leaf blade is green adaxially and grayish-green or pale green abaxially, with a reddish-brown midvein (vs. the adaxial surface is dark green and densely villous, while the abaxial surface is deep purple). More detailed morphological differences amongst the three similar species are shown in Table 1.	en	Huang, Ju-Hua, Zhang, Jian-Hua, Chen, You-Sheng (2025): Viola yuelingensis (Violaceae), a new species from Guangxi, China. PhytoKeys 267: 223-232, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.267.172198
596BF0CFB2D556E790517C09DE27DA7C.taxon	description	Description. Perennial herb, acaulescent, with an elongated rhizome bearing nodes. Rhizome grows obliquely or horizontally along the ground forming stolons (sometime absent) with adventitious roots at its nodes. Stolons slender, often reddish-brown, measure 1 – 40 cm in length densely covered with white pubescence, producing new shoots from alternate or clustered leaflets at the tips. Leaves grow near the base or alternate along the stolons, presenting ovate, broadly ovate, or ovate shapes (3 – 5 × 2 – 4 cm), broadest at or below the middle, acute or gradually tapering tips, shallow cordate bases, margin serrate, grayish-white pubescent on both surfaces. Surface of leaves dark green to dark green, while the lower surface shows grayish-green or pale green coloration. Midvein reddish-brown, prominent abaxially and adaxially; lateral veins faint. Petioles 3 – 5 cm, often reddish-brown, densely pubescent. Leaves mostly freelance, lanceolate or cordate stipules (0.5 – 2 cm long), attenuate at apex. Stipules feature elongated fringelike teeth along margins, appearing reddish-brown or greenish, membranous texture. Flowers 1.5 cm in diameter, corolla pale purple, light blue, or white colors, petals 5, differentiated into three types: upper petal (2), lateral petals (2), and lower petal (1). Upper petal obovate or oblong, nearly symmetrical, 0.5 – 1.5 × 0.5 – 1 cm. Lateral petals similarly obovate or oblong, 0.5 – 1.2 × 0.3 – 0.5 cm, white bases and sparsely bearded with curved inward club-like appendages. Lower petal oblong or ovate, 0.5 – 1.5 × 0.5 – 1 cm, apex gradually acuminate, base tapers to white or pale purple, distal portion pale purple with distinct purple striations. Spur short, saccate, 2 – 2.5 × ca. 2 mm, arises from the lower petal base; spur of 2 anterior stamens bear angular, acutely tipped spurs. Ovary cone-shaped, glabrous, featuring a club-shaped style, curves upward at base. Styles narrow, flat margin and a short beak terminating in an upward-opening pore, with a stigma hole open upward at tip of beak. Pedicel 4 – 12 cm long, often exserted beyond foliage, rufous with dense white pubescence; bearing two linear bracts inserted oppositely at mid-length. Sepals narrowly ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, 3 – 7 mm long, gradually tapering to points, convex or sessile, with soft hairs along margins and veins. Capsule oblong or trigonous, 5 – 7 mm long, green, splitting into three segments when mature. Seeds spherical or oval, turning yellowish-brown upon maturity.	en	Huang, Ju-Hua, Zhang, Jian-Hua, Chen, You-Sheng (2025): Viola yuelingensis (Violaceae), a new species from Guangxi, China. PhytoKeys 267: 223-232, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.267.172198
596BF0CFB2D556E790517C09DE27DA7C.taxon	etymology	Etymology. The specific term ‘ yueling ’ specifically refers to its model origin, China Guangxi, yuechengling.	en	Huang, Ju-Hua, Zhang, Jian-Hua, Chen, You-Sheng (2025): Viola yuelingensis (Violaceae), a new species from Guangxi, China. PhytoKeys 267: 223-232, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.267.172198
596BF0CFB2D556E790517C09DE27DA7C.taxon	distribution	Distribution and habitat. The new species is known only from Guangxi Xing’an County and Lingchuan County of Guilin City. It grows in moist areas such as mountainous woodlands, forest-edge grasslands, valleys, or rocky cliffs along roadsides at altitudes ranging from 200 to 1000 meters.	en	Huang, Ju-Hua, Zhang, Jian-Hua, Chen, You-Sheng (2025): Viola yuelingensis (Violaceae), a new species from Guangxi, China. PhytoKeys 267: 223-232, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.267.172198
