172 Rhodora [JULY 
A STRIKING COLOR FORM OF VIOLA PEDATA. 
A. LOUISA SANDERS. 
In many of the towns of eastern Massachusetts are places locally 
noted for the profusion of Viola pedata to be found there. One such 
place in Wayland is on Reeve’s Hill. About twelve years ago my 
attention was particularly drawn to the place by the discovery of a 
single deep colored specimen which was then pronounced dark red. 
Although the spot has been watched carefully no recurrence of this 
form has been seen. 
While gathering some of the delicately fragrant blossoms of the 
species there recently, I found two plants whose flowers did not 
have the usual pale-violet color. Instead, the petals of each were a 
beautiful pale magenta. This made the specimens so different from 
the common form that they may be proposed as 
VIOLA PEDATA L., forma rosea, forma nova, habitu var. lineari- 
lobae simillima differt solum petalis omnibus laete roseis.— Sunny 
southern exposure of a rocky hillside, Wayland, Massachusetts, May 
14, 1911. 
The plants were about 5 cm. apart, growing in somewhat loose, but 
not sandy soil, at the edge of a clump of huckleberry bushes. One had 
four blossoms and the other three, each perfectly formed and of the 
usual size and shape. Even the white part of the lower grooved petal 
was not lacking although it was not crossed by the customary dark 
veins. One of the specimens may be seen at the Gray Herbarium; 
the other is still living, but unfortunately has formed no fruit. 
It was interesting to find on the same day and not ten rods from the 
above forms, two specimens of the rare white bird-foot, Viola pedata, 
forma alba (Thurb.) Britton, and to note that each had fruited. It 
recalled the pleasure experienced about ten years ago of finding the 
white ones for three successive seasons in the same locality. 
WAYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS. 
Vol. 13, no. 150, including pages 93 to 108, was issued 5 June, 1911. 
