Perennial herbs found in sunny grasslands and on roadside. The numbers of this plant in Mt. Takao is decreasing but found in residential area. The Japanese name Sumire literally meaning viola was named because the shape of flowers from the sides resembles the tool of carpenters called sumi-ire meaning carpenter’s ink pod. Leaves and flowers are in cluster growing upright from the thick underground stem. Leaves are like the shape of elongated shoehorns, rounded tips, 3 to 8 cm long, thick and have wings at petioles that is unique to this plant. Flowers are 1..2 to 1.7 cm in diameter and dark purple. The lateral sepals have white hair and spur is long and about 7 mm.

●Season　　Mid April to about Early May
●Height　　about 7 to 15 cm
●Place　　Trail 1, Trail 5, Mt. Inari, Ura-Takao, Oku-Takao