スミレ科スミレ属の多年草で、学名は Viola betonicifolia var. albescens。英名はありません。
The "Ariake-sumire" (Viola betonicifolia var. albescens) belongs to Violaceae (the Viola family). It is a perennial herb that is distributed from Honshu to Shikoku, Kyushu of Japan, as well as the Korean Peninsula and north-east China. This herb grows in wet places near town and can reach about 10 cm in height. The leaves are oblong-lanceolate. The white to magenta flowers come in pril and May. This species is considered a interspecific hybrid between Viola mandshurica or Viola confusa ssp. nagasakiensis and Viola patrinii or Viola yedoensis. The Japanese name "Ariake-sumure" (Dawning sky violet - literally translated) is derived from the varied flower color.