This groundcover originally came from an oak/hickory forest on the Missouri/Northeast Kansas border. It has been growing in my mom's yard for 20 years in dappled shade. My dad says it has a little yellow bloom, but I won't be up there to take a photo when it is blooming.
The heart shaped leaves have a smooth edge, or else I would guess galax. The dark red splotches on the leaves are kind of interesting!
The stems and leaves are thick and rubbery, or else I would guess a form of violet. The flower bud is all wrong for violet, also. The flower bud looks like dandelion.
The roots are fleshy, tuberous, like daylilies.
There are small offsets on these plants, and they have spread through the yard. They never get more than 6" tall and wide. The leaves are about half dollar sized. I'm pretty sure it's evergreen, because spring has barely started where these are growing. They must be hardy to zone 5b.
Hope that's enough clues for an identification. Sure wish I had a photo of the bloom, sorry about that.
Another detail that may or may not help--our woods is full of wildflowers that technically belong in the Southern Appalachian or Ozarks. I've looked at many of the databases while trying to identify this plant, and I'm amazed at how many plants we have in our woods that are just not supposed to grow west of Kentucky. When I get time, I'll document what's growing there and send it to wildflower people.
