Viola 



VIOLACEAE 



Viola 



an appendage); the lower petal spurred; the 2 lower stamens with nectar-bearing 

 appendages which extend into the spur. 300 species, in temperate regions; 50 in 

 China. (Latin: viola, the violet.) 



Key to the Species 



a. Plants without evident stems or stolons, acaulescent. 

 b. Lvs. not deeply lobed or divided. 



c. Lvs. reniform, ovate, or triangular-ovate, cordate at 

 base. 



Lvs. glabrous or nearly so 1. 



Lvs. softly pubescent 2. 



cc. Lvs. elongate-triangular, oblong or ovate, sometimes 

 subsagittate at base with rounded lobes, not 

 cordate. 



Fls. white; peduncles often exceeding lvs 3. 



Fls. purple or violet; peduncles mostly about equal 



to the lvs 4. 



bb. Lvs. multicleft into lanceolate or linear divisions 5. 



aa. Plants with evident stems or stolons, 

 d. Stems creeping and stoloniferous. 



e. Stipules entire or nearly so: fls. purple or lilac. 



Lvs. small, 15-30 mm. wide: fls. small, about 

 10 mm. long 6 



Lvs. large, 30-100 mm. wide: fls. larger, 15-20 mm. 

 long. 

 Lvs. glabrous, broadly triangular-cordate or reni- 



form-cordate : flls. not fragrant 7 



Lvs. more or less pubescent, ovate-cordate: fls. 



fragrant 



ee. Stipules cleft or incised, at least at the base, 

 f. Petioles not broadly winged. 



Plants glabrous or nearly so. 



Lvs. not glandular 6 



Lvs. glandular beneath 9 



Plants more or less clothed with flat silvery 



hairs 10 



ff. Petioles broadly winged above; wings tapering 



below 11 



dd. Stems erect or ascending. 



g. Stipules not large and herbaceous. 



h. Lf. blades triangular-ovate, cuneate at base; 



stipules remotely laciniate 12 



hh. Lf. blades cordate, or rarely truncate, at base. 

 Stipules strongly laciniate or fimbriate. 



Rhizome bearing a rosette of lvs. at the top 

 from which slender elongated leafy stems 

 develop: fls. large, about 20mm. long, 



pale blue 13 



Rhizome without a leaf-rosette, producing 



261 



V. cordi folia 

 V. rossii 



V. lactiflora 



V. philippica 



V. chaerophylloides 



var. sieboldiana 



V. alata 



ssp. verecunda 



V. moupinensis 



8. V. odorata 



V. alata 



ssp. verecunda 



V. kiangsiensis 



V. canescens 



V. diffusa 



var. brevisepala 



V. stewardiana 



V. grypoceras 



