58 VIOLET FAMILY. 



5 petals, and 5 stamens ; the claws of the petals sometimes slightly united . 



ovary one-celled with three parietal placenta;, a single style and stigma. 



Fruit a globular woody pod, many-seeded. 



P. Tobira, COMMON P. A low tree, cultivated as a house-plant (from 

 Japan), with obovate and refuse evergreen leaves crow-led at the end ot 

 the branches, which an; terminated by a small sessile umbel of white fragrant 

 flowers, produced in winter. 



14. VIOL ACE JE, VIOLET FAMILY. 



Commonly known only by the principal genus of the order, viz. 



JL. VIOLA, VIOLET. (Ancient Latin name.) Sepals 5, persistent. Pet- 

 als 5, more or less unequal, the lower one with a sac or spur at the base. 

 (Lessons, p. 86, fig. 237, 238.) Stamens 5, short: the very broad flat fila- 

 ments conniving and slightly cohering around the pistil, which they cover, 

 all but the end of the style and the (usually one-sided) stigma, bearing the 

 anthers on their inner face, two of these spurred at the base. Ovarv and pod 

 1-celled, with '? parietal placenta;, containing several rather large seeds. 

 Herbs, with stipules to the alternate leaves, and I -flowered peduncles. 



* STEMLESS VIOLETS, with leaves and peduncles all from creeping or suh. 

 terranean rootstocks, there being no proper ascending stems : all flowering in 

 sprint/, a/so producing inconspicuous flowers and most of the fruitful pods, 

 all summer, concealed <IHHH/ the leaves. 



-t- Garden species, from Europe: fragrant. 



V. Odorata, SWEET VIOLET. Cult, from Eu., the tufts spreading by 

 creeping runners ; leaves rounded heart-shaped, more or less downy ; flowera 

 purple-blue (violet-color) varying to bluish and white, single or in cultivation 

 commonly full double. Hardy; while the ITALIAN VIOLET, the variety used 

 for winter-blooming, with leaves smoother and brighter green and flowen paler 

 or grayish-blue, is tender northward. 



*- *- Wild spi'i-i<-s : slightly sireet-scented or scentless. 

 ** F/oircrs blue or rinlt /-color. 



V. Selkirkii, SELKIRK'S V. Small, only 2' high, the rounded heart- 

 shaped leaves spreading Hat on the ground ; the flower large in proportion, its 

 thick spur nearly as long as the beardless petals : on shady banks, only N. 



V. sagittata, ARBOW-LEAVED V. One of the commonest and earliest; 

 leaves varying from oblong-heart-shaped to ovate and often rather halberd- 

 shaped, the earlier ones on short and margined petioles ; flower large in propor- 

 tion ; spur short and sac-haprd, as in all the following. 



V. CUCUllata, COMMON UI.I:E V. The tallest and commonest of the 

 blue violets, in all low grounds, with matted fleshy and scaly-toothed rootstocks, 

 erect and heart-shaped or kidney-shaped obscurely serrate leaves, with the sides 

 at the base rolled in when young, on long petioles ; flowers sometimes pale 01 

 variegated with white. 



V. palmata, HA.XP-LE.VF V., is a variety of the last, with the leaves, or 

 ill the later ones, 3 - 7-cleft or parted ; common southward. 



V. pedata, BIRD-FOOT V. Grows in sandy or light soil, from a short ana 

 thick or tuber-like root>tock; tnc leaves all cut into linear divisions or lobes ; 

 the (lower large, beardless, usually light violet-color : sometimes the two upper 

 petals deep dark violet, like a pansy. 



V. delphinif61ia, L\KKSIMK-LI:\VEI> V., takes the place of the preced- 

 ing in prairies, &<. \V. and is like it, hut has the lateral petals bearded. 



** - Floinrs (xniirlt) ii'hitc, tin- loin r p,tl purplish-veined. 



V. blanda, SWEET WHITE V. Very common, with faintly sweet-scented 



flowers, all the petal- beardless; leaves rounded heart-shaped or "kidnev-shaped. 



V. primulsefdlia, PUIMKOSI-.-I.EAVKP V. Common S., between the last 



and next, has oblong or ovate leaves. 



V. lanceolata, I.AS< K-LEAVEP V. Commonest S., has lanceolate leave* 

 tapering into long petioles, and beardless petals. 



