VIOLET 



This lower petal is prolonged backward into a spur, 

 which holds the nectar. All the Violets are nectar- 

 bearers; all have lines more or less distinct that point 

 to the hidden treasure. Most of them protect this 

 nectar against crawling insects, especially ants, by 

 tufts of hairs at the throat of the flower directly on the 

 road to the honey. 



The Violet has a calyx of five sepals, whose shape 

 and length are one means of determining species. 



There are five stamens closely surrounding the ovary 

 in the centre of the flower, often slightly grown to- 

 gether, the two lower bearing spurs which project 

 into the spur of the corolla and act as honey-glands. 



The pistil is a one-celled ovary with a club-shaped 

 style and the simple stigma turned to one side. 



The seed-pod divides lengthwise into three parts 

 wdth a double row of seeds in each. As the pod walls 

 dry they contract and the seeds are pinched out one 

 by one, sometimes sent some feet away. The Violet 

 does what it can to give its young ones a chance. 



Species of Violets are distinguished first as stemmed 

 or stemless, bearded or beardless; then by the char- 

 acter of the spur, and finally by color of flower and shape 

 of leaf. 



Besides the normal blossoms which call the bee and 

 depend upon cross-fertilization, most of the Violets 

 have the ability to help themselves in a very unusual 

 way, quite independent of the visits of insects. They 

 are able to produce and do produce small hidden 

 blossoms capable of self-fertilization, which technically 

 are known as cleistogamous, that is, fertiUzed in the 

 bud. These blossoms appear very near the ground, 

 look like blasted buds, and are without a corolla. They 



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