Viola chamissoniana ssp. chamissoniana, a member of the violet family (Violaceae), is a branched shrub up to 90 cm (3 ft) tall. The toothed leaves, usually clustered at branch tips, are triangular-oval to heart-shaped in outline. Each flowering stalk produces one or two flowers with five sepals and five white, purple-tinged petals. Capsules contain dark brown to almost black seeds. This subspecies can be distinguished from the other members of the genus in the Waianae Mountains by the small size of its leaves.