Viola cunninghamii

Named after Allan Cunningham (1791–1839), an English botanist and explorer primarily known for his travels to Australia (New South Wales) and New Zealand to collect plants. It has egg shaped leaves that are flat across at the stem. They are deciduous so their woody root stock and short stout stems are seen in winter as the yellow leaves gradually disappear.  Allan Jolliff notes: Normally the plants produce the flowers we expect. However, viola can use cleistogamy or cleistogamic flowers which never open but produce viable seed. This generally happens if it rains when flowers should open or when plants grow in very moist or shady places (or both).