Viola pedunculata

The Yellow Pansy (Viola pedunculata) is a common and attractive wildflower of coastal regions of California and Baja California. It is also known as the California Golden Violet, or as the Johnny Jump Up, though the latter name is more usually associated with the introduced Heartsease, Viola tricolor. The Yellow Pansy grows on open, grassy slopes, chaparral, and in oak woodlands, from sea level to around 1000 meters. It is a perennial, growing from a spongy rhizome. The leaves are 1-5.5 centimeter, heart-shaped (heart-shaped) to deltate-ovate (oblong-triangular), scalloped or toothed, and smooth or hairy. The plant is often low-growing, but can reach heights of up to 40 centimeter. The flowers appear in March and April, and are always yellow. They are hermaphrodite and are pollinated by insects. Dried in air, the seeds weigh about 4mg each.