74 



VIOLARIE^. [Viola. 



folia alterna marcescentia ; pedunculi solitarii axillares uniflori 2-bracteoiaH non auricidati, 

 apice reflexi ; flores cemui ; folia seminalia obloiiga ovatave^ petiolata; primordialia op- 

 positely sed raro coetanea, DC. 



Obs. la drawin**" up the account of the present genus, I have derived much assistance from the labours 

 of the Rev. Lewis Schweinitz, in the American Joxunial of Science, from Dr. Torrey in. his Flora of the 

 Northern and Middle Sections of the United States, and from Capt. Le Conte in his Observations on the 

 North American species of the genus Violay published in the 2d vol. of the Ann. of the Lyceum of Nat. 

 Hist, of New York; as well as from n^^ne^ous authentic specimens that have been communicated to me by 

 Mr. Schweinitz, Dr. Torrey, Mr. Nuttall, and Dr. Boott ; those of the latter gentleman from the neighbour- 

 hood of Boston, are particularly valuable, not only in consequence of their great similarity with the Cana- 

 dian plant, but as serving to illustrate the species, of Dr. Bigelow's Flomla of Boston. Notwithstanding all 

 these aids, so variable are the individuals of which the genus is composed, that even the authors who have 

 had the best opportunities of examining them in their native stations, have been puzzled to distinguish 

 species from mere varieties ; and, in describing them from dried specimens, the difficulty is infinitely increased. 



Sect. I. Nomimium. Ging, in DC, Stigma rostratum, foraminulo ad extremitatem rostri 

 sito ; rostrum plus minus recurvum^ nunc deorsum marginatum et tunc planiusculum et 

 ohliqutim, nunc absque margine et tunc deorsum convexiusculum. Stylus ab apice ad 

 beisin attenuatus. Stamina obhnga approximata, Tories planiusculus, Capsula scepiu^ 

 trigona. Seminxi 15-27, Folia seminalia smpe obovata vel oblanga, DC. 



* Caules subnulli. 



1. V, pedata; subpubescens, stigmate incrassato oblique brevirostrato truncato per- 

 forato, foliis multlpartitis, segmentis linearibus inferioribus hinc pinnatifidis, — Linn. Sp. 

 PL p, 1323. Mich^ Am, v. 2. p, 151. Pursh^ Fl. Am. v. 1. p. 171. Elliott, Carol v. 1. p. 

 300. Curt, in Bat Mag. t 89. Torrey, Fl. of Un. St. v. I. p. 249. De Cand. Prodr. v. 1. 

 p. 291. Schwein. Viol, in Sill. Journ. v. 5. p. 50. Le Conte in Ann. Lye. of N. Y. v. 2. p. 

 147, — V. digitata. Pursh, Fl. Am. v. 1. p. 171. — V. pinnata. Rich, in FranM. \st Journ. 

 ed. 2. App, p. 8. 



Hab. Canada, frequent; and as far north as lat. 53° on the Saskatchawan. Br. Richardson; Drum- 

 mond. — Flowers blue, sometimes white, according to Le Conte ; sometimes pale, with the two upper petals 

 deep red-purple, when it becomes the V. flahellifolia, Lodd. Bot. Cab. t. 777. — It comes very near the true 

 V. pinnata, but the structure of its leaves is different, 



2. V, palmata ; pubescens, stigmate triangulari-marginato, foliis hastato-cordatis pal- 

 mato-lobatisj lobis anguslis latioribusque raro exterioribus cordatis indivisis. — Linn. Sp. 

 PL p. 1323. Mich. Am. v. 1. p. 171. Curt. Bot. Mag. t. 535. Pursh, Fl. Am. v. 1. p. 172. 

 Elliott, Carol v.\. p. 300. BigeL Fl. Bost. ed. 2. p. 95.? Torrey, Fl. of Un. St. v. 1. p* 



s 



Ann. Lye. of N. Y. v. 2. p. 189. 



Conte 



Hab. Canada. Le Conte, — This is allowed by al 



When 



with V. pedata ; but generally they are less divided ; the outer ones, and sometimes the whole of them, are 

 quite entire, when I scarcely know how the species is to be distinguished from V. cucuUata. The same 

 plant too, at different seasons of the year, may possess all these differently formed leaves. Professor Bigelow 

 seems to be of opinion that it is a state of the latter mentioned species. It does not exist in the collections 



