Viola primulifolia, commonly called the primrose-leaf violet,[1] is a species of flowering plant in the violet family. It is native to eastern North America, and possibly also to the Pacific Northwest.[2] Its natural habitat is wet acidic areas that are usually at least semi-open.[3]
It is a low, stemless perennial that produces white flowers in the spring.[4] It can be distinguished from the similar-looking Viola lanceolata and Viola blanda by its leaves that are ovate, with rounded to truncate bases, and are 1.5-2 times as long as wide.[3]
While typical Viola primulifolia occurs in a large area of the east, a variety of this species is sometimes credited to occur in a small area of western California and Oregon, under the name of V. primulifolia var. occidentalis.[5] These populations, which are considered rare and highly localized, have alternatively been referred to as Viola lanceolata ssp. occidentalis.[6]