COMMON BLUE VIOLET 



Rootstock. — Short and thick. 



Leaves. — Smooth, deep green, roundish, heart-shaped, 

 crcnate; the sides rolled inward when young. When 

 full grown the petioles are three to seven inches high. 



Flowers. — Deep or pale violet-blue, sometimes striped 

 blue and white; besides the conspicuous flowers produced 

 in the spring are others, produced later, 

 which never open and are without petals. 



Calyx. — Five sepals, extending into ears 

 at the base. 



Corolla. — Five unequal petals, the lower 

 one spurred at the base, the lateral ones 

 bearded. 



Stamens. — Five, the two lower bearing 

 spurs which project into the spur of the 

 corolla; filaments short and broad, often 

 grown together. 



Pistil. — One; style club-shaped; stigma 

 bent. 



Pollinated by bumblebees or self-ferti- 

 lized. 



This is the commonest Violet of all, 

 best known and best loved, which some- 

 times covers hollows and hillocks in 

 such clouds that: 



A Warrior Blossom 

 of Blue Violet. 

 Viola cuculldta 



"One might guess 

 A storm of blossoms had fallen there 

 And covered the ground with a sweet excess." 



Whoever, when a child, tumbled about in Violet 

 fields, has fought many a battle royal with blue Violets. 

 The blossoms having sturdy stems, with a curve just 

 sufficient to grapple each other, make valiant warriors, 

 and sometimes a hero would arise who could over- 

 throw an entire phalanx of lesser blossoms. 



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