Shrinking violet

A friend gave me a little violet plant out of her garden a few years ago (during the drought).  I planted it in the shade, near the washing line and it lived for a little while and then vanished ... I thought nothing more of it.  Then it rained.  And this little plant appeared again.  It grew quietly, flowered secretly, and dropped seeds with abandon.  Now I have multiple little violet plants around the original and several of them are flowering :0)
I shall steal some of its seeds this year and scatter them elsewhere to see where else it might like to grow.