ON et 
a 
Viola.| VIOLARIEH (Sond.) 73 
Ovary unilocular, free, with 3 parietal placentee and numerous ovules ; 
style simple, with a hollow or lobed stigma. Capsule usually splitting 
into three valves, each carrying a-medial placenta ; rarely indehiscent. 
Seeds with fleshy albumen, and a straight, axile embryo ; radicle next 
the hilum, 
Herbs, undershrubs or shrubs, with alternate, simple, entire or cut leaves ; usually 
with large, leafy stipules. Flowers axillary, solitary or variously arranged. 
The common garden Violet is the well known type of this Order, which also in- 
cludes a number of tropical and subtropical shrubs (A/sodinee ) with small, regular 
flowers, little resembling the type in aspect, though agreeing in technical characters. 
Upwards-of 300 species, arranged in 15 genera, are known. Species of Viola, the 
largest genus, are found in all parts of the world, but are most numerous in Europe 
Extra-tropical Asia and North America ; a few are Australian, and several occur, 
along the higher Andes of Peru, descending to the sea level in Southern Chili, 
The roots of most species contain emetic properties: several of the S. American 
species are often used as a substitute for ipecacuanha. The petals of the sweet 
scented Violet are a children’s medicine, in frequent use. Several other species are 
in local repute in the countries where they occur. 
“TABLE OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN GENERA. 
I, Viola.— Sepals eared at base. 
If, Ionidium.—Sepa/s not eared at base. 
I. VIOLA, L. 
Sepals 5, nearly equal, produced at base into earlike lobes. Petals 5, 
unequal, the under one (labellum) spurred or saccate at base. DC. 
Prod. 1.291. Hndl, Gen. 5040. 
Herbs or suffrutices very generally dispersed throughout the Northern temperate 
zones, rare within the tropics and in the Southern temperate zone. Stem short or 
long ; Leaves alternate, petiolate, stipulate. Peduncles axillary, one-two flowered, 
bibracteolate, curved, but seldom jointed. Flowers blue, white or yellow, or parti- 
coloured, sometimes sweetly scented. The garden Violet (V. odorata), and the 
Pansy (V. tricolor) are familiar examples. The name is of Celtic origin: fail 
meaning a smell, and fatl-chuach, a violet :—also said to be derived from the Greek 
tov, a violet. Le Oa er 
1. V. decumbens — f, Suppl. p. 397) ; suffruticose, stems procum- 
bent, much branched ; leaves linear, very narrow, entire, crowded ; sti- 
pules subulate-linear, adnate ; spur tubular, straight, nearly as long as 
the sepal. Thunb. Fl. Cap. p. 186. V. decumbens, a, tenuis, Baril. Linn. 
7.540. EH. & Z. 120, V. decumbens, 8. longifolia, EL. Mey. ! 
Has. Sandy places. Hott. Holl. Berg, near Palmiet River, and Klynrivier-berg 
E. § Z.; Lager 1923, Drege / (Herb, Sond., Lehm., T.C.D.) : 
Stems many from the same root, filiform, brownish, minutel, downy, 3-6 inches 
long. Leaves glabrous, 1-1} inch long or shorter, 4} line wide, much longer than 
the internodes. Stipules toothed at base, 1-14 line long. Flowers terminal, pedun- 
culate ; peduncles one or several, flexuous, glabrous, bibracteate near the top. 
Corolla blue, yellow within. Sepals acuminate. Petals about 5 lines long. Stigma 
hooked. 
2. V. scrotiformis (DC. Prod. 1. p. 299) ; suffruticose ; stems branch- 
ed ; leaves sub-falcato-lanceolate, acute, narrowed at base, entire, the 
lowest ones remote ; stipules lanceolate-subulate ; spur saceate, twice as 
short as the sepal. V. decumbens 8. stipulacea, Bartl.l.c. E. & Z. No. 
121. V. decumbens, a FE. Mey.! & 
