1904J Brainerd, — Notes on New England Violets 9 



without precedent, naturally challenges our attention and criticism. 

 Even an amateur student of botany may be tempted to scrutinize the 

 facts that appear in his limited field of observation. That the reader 

 may understand upon what data the present article is based, the 

 writer may perhaps be pardoned for saying, that for the past two 

 seasons his botanical field work from May to October has been 

 almost entirely devoted to this genus, that he has collected and 

 examined some two or three thousand plants from over two hundred 

 stations in Western Vermont and Western Massachusetts, and that 

 much of his material has been examined and discussed by expert 

 students of the genus. His purpose is to put on record certain facts 

 of observation that may prove of interest, and to give the results of 

 his study as to specific limitations. 



I desire to express herewith my grateful appreciation of the cour- 

 tesies and assistance that I have received in the course of my studies 

 from Mr. C. L. Pollard of the National Museum, from Prof. Greene 

 of the Catholic University, and from Dr. Robinson of the Gray Her- 

 barium. I am also under great obligation to numerous friends for 

 the use of valuable material from many localities. 



It is only in recent years that students of our violets have paid 

 attention to the development of the plant during the summer months. 

 In the Synoptical Flora (1895) the specific characters are taken 

 almost exclusively from the plants as they appear wlien flowering in 

 Spring, though the existence of later cleistogamous flowers, " abun- 

 dant and short peduncled," is stated. Even Mr. Pollard, who has 

 distinctly urged the importance of studying the mature plant, is, in 

 his treatment of Viola in the recent Manuals of Dr. Britton and of 

 Dr. Small, quite vague in his account of the apetalous flowers and 

 their mature capsules. Yet right here are to be found the most 

 marked and constant characters on which to divide the acaulescent 

 blue violets into species. These plants are best understood, as are 

 the Cruciferae and Umbelliferae, when in/ruit. 



This is indeed what might have been expected from certain well 

 known biological laws. In the evolution of species the most marked 

 differences are found to appear when the individual has reached the 

 climax of its life-history. The young of allied species are more 

 alike than the adults. An herbaceous plant in its vernal state, even 

 though in flower, ha's often less pronounced characters than when in 

 summer or autumn it has attained its full size and produced its seed. 

 "By their fruits ye shall know them." 



