Five yellow petals, with two upper that are brown on the underside and three with dark purple veining at the base. The lowest petal has an expanded tip to serve as a perch for insects. Five stamens, the two lowest having hanging nectaries which curve into a hollow spur at the back of the lower petal; one pistil. Santiago Oaks Regional Park, Orange, CA. 3-14-09. © Joan Avise.

California Golden Violet
(Johnny-Jump-up)

Viola pedunculata

A perennial herb with several slender stems arising from thick rootstock.   It is occasional to locally common in colonies on moist shaded grassy slopes and meadows, often on clay soils in the San Joaquin Hills, mountain foothills, and Santa Ana Mountains (Roberts).  The 4-14 in. long stems are branching, sprawling and downy.  Plants sometimes spread by stolons (above-ground clone-forming stems).  Fruits open by three valves, explosively releasing several seeds. Growth and flowering occur in late winter and spring after which plants die back to the root crown (Clarke). Larvae of the Silverspot Butterfly (Speyeria) feed on this plant  (Nancy Dale). The leaves were used by the Diegueno and Luiseno people for food: the young leaves were picked before the flowers appear in the spring, boiled, and used as greens. The flower buds can also be eaten, though like other yellow flowers of the genus Viola, in large quantities they can cause diarrhoea. A tisane can be made from the leaves (Wikipedia). Flowering: February - April.

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The 1 1/2 in. flowers are solitary on 6 in. long stems.  Santiago Oaks Regional Park, Orange, CA. 3-14-09. © Joan Avise.

The 1 in. heart-shaped or deltoid leaves are bright green and coarsely toothed.  Santiago Oaks Regional Park, Orange, CA. 3-02-08. © Joan Avise.

Santiago Oaks Regional Park, Orange, CA. 3-14-09. © Joan Avise.

Five sepals. Caspers Wilderness Park, San Juan Capistrano, CA. 3-29-08. © Joan Avise.