IRbodora 
JOURNAL OF 
THE NEW ENGLAND BOTANICAL CLUB 
Vol. 7 January, 1905 No. 73 
NOTES ON NEW ENGLAND VIOLETS,— II. 
EZRA BRAINERD. 
Ir would seem that after careful scrutiny of their claims two boreal 
species must be added to the list of New England violets. One is 
Viola Novae-Angliae, published by Mr. House in a recent number of 
Ruopora.' Itis surely a good species, and was believed to be so by 
others before Mr. House pointed out its claims to recognition. Mr. 
Fernald, who collected the type specimens, wrote on sending dupli- 
cates to me with other material last February: “One, Mr. Pollard 
has called V. emarginata, but I can't believe that the little plant of 
Fort Kent and St. Francis (my nos. 2244, 2245) has much to do 
with the southern species. I have always been confident from the 
habitat of the plant and the high-northern species with which it 
grows, that it represented a thoroughly distinct species. I shall en- 
deavor to get more and better material this year. I shall be glad to 
have you describe the plant, if you, too, feel that it is quite distinct." 
Though recognizing its distinctness, I deemed it prudent to wait 
for summer specimens showing the mature leaves and fruit. During 
my brief study of the genus I had become painfully aware of the 
confusion that had arisen from the publication of scores of obscure 
and illegitimate species, based on scanty or immature material; and 
I felt that no one ought to create a species in this group before seeing 
the plant in its mature stages of growth. Accordingly Mr. Fernald 
went to the trouble and expense of a journey to St. Francis last July, 
secured midsummer specimens, and had the live plant reproduced in 
a water-color that beautifully exhibits the capsules of both petalifer- 
ous and cleistogamous flowers. 
Meanwhile Mr. House, in entire ignorance of this investigation, 
! RHODORA, vi. 226, pl. 59 (1904). 
