VIR G INI AN CO WSL IP 68 1 



the stigma, often a hollow pocket. The lower pet. forms a landing- 

 place and is often prolonged backwards into a spur, in which collects 

 honey, secreted by processes projecting into it from the lower sta. 

 Honey guides show as streaks upon the C leading to nectaries. These 

 fls. are as a rule incapable of self-fert. In V. tricolor the pollen is 

 shed on to the ant. pet., and the lower edge of the stigma is guarded 

 by a flap which the insect, when withdrawing, closes; and thus the 

 fl.'s own pollen does not reach the stigma. The small-flowered sub- 

 species V. arvemis Murr. has not this flap and fertilises itself. In 

 V. odorata the stigma is merely the bent-over end of the style, and is 

 first touched as the insect enters. The size, colour, &c. of the flower 

 of this sp. and of V. canina render them suited to bees. 



In many, e.g. V. canina, V. odorata, V. syk'estris, Lam., the fls. are 

 rarely visited, and little seed is set. They usu. flower early in the 

 season ; later on appears a second form of fl. on the same pi. These 

 are the cleistogamic fls., which never open, but set seed by self-fert. 

 In V. canina this fl. looks like a bud; the seps. remain shut, there 

 are 5 minute pets., 2 ant. sta. with anthers containing a little pollen 

 (only enough for fert. there is no waste as in open fls.) and 3 other 

 abortive sta. ; pistil much as usual. The anthers are closely appressed 

 to the stigma ; the pollen-grains germinate within them, and the tubes 

 burrow through the anther-walls into the stigma. V. odorata has simi- 

 lar fls., but with all 5 sta. fertile. The production of these fls. ensures 

 the setting of seed. 



Fr. a 3-valved capsule; seeds very hard and slippery. One plac. 

 with its seeds remains attached to each valve; as this dries it bends 

 upwards into a U -shape, squeezing the seeds against one another and 

 shooting them out (cf. Claytonia, Buxus). 



Violaceae (EP., BH. mcl.Sauvagesieae of Ochnaceae). Dicots. (Archichl. 

 Parietales). 15 gen., 300 sp., cosmop. Annual or perennial herbs, 

 or shrubs. L. alt., stip., usu. undivided. Fls. i or i in each axil, 

 in usu. racemose infls., bracteolate, $? , usu. ). K 5, persistent; 

 C 5, hypog., usu. -|- , the ant. petal often spurred to hold the honey, 

 with descending aestivation; AS, alt. with petals, hypog. , forming 

 a ring round the ovary; filament very short, anther intr., connective 

 usu. with membranous prolongation; 0(3), i-loc. with i oo anatr. 

 ov. on each of the parietal plac. Style simple. Fr. a 3-valved loculic. 

 caps. Endosp. Chief genera: Alsodeia, Viola. 



Violarieae (BH.}, Violaceae and Sauvagesieae of Ochnaceae. 



Violet, Viola; African-, Saintpaulia; dame's-, Hesperis; essence of-, 

 Iris floreiitina L. ; water -, Hottonia. 



Viorna Reichb. (Clematis p.p.). Ranunculaceae (3). isN.Am. 



Viper's bugloss, Echium vulgare L. 



Virchowia Schenk (Ilysanthes p.p. EP.). Scrophular. (n. 6). i 

 Cuba. 



Virea Adans. =Leontodon L. p.p. (Comp.). 



Virecta Afzel ex Sm. Rubiaceae (i. i). 5 trop. Afr. 



Virens (Lat.), green. 



Virgatus (Lat.), twiggy. 



Virgilia Lam. Leguminosae (in. i). i Cape Colony. Useful wood. 



Virginian cowslip (Am.), Mertensia virginica DC. ; - creeper, Parthe- 



