372 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



VIOLET FAMILY. VIOLACEAE. 



Herbs or shrubs, of which most violets are 

 usually easily recognized; mostly ornamental 

 and harmless. Pansies are in cultivation for 

 their unique flowers. 



About 300 species of wide distribution. 



Fig. 151. 



Wild Pansy. Viola arvensis Mutt. A 

 slender, erect, biennial, 20-30 cm. liigh; petals 

 pale yellow; small; capsule, like most \1olets, 

 when mature splitting into three pieces, each 

 with seeds attached along the middle, the 

 seeds gradually shot in every direction, some 

 of them to a distance of ten feet on level ground. 

 This habit makes it very difBcult to keep within 

 bounds when cultivated in a botanic garden, 

 where it becomes quite a pest. Possibly 

 others may find it troublesome. 



EVENING PRIMROSE FAMILY. 

 ONAGRACEAE. 



This small family of herbaceous plants 

 contains about 350 species of little prominence 

 in an economic way. In Michigan there are 

 a few bee plants and some herbs. 



Fig. 152 (135). 



Evening-Primrose. Oenothera, biennis L. 

 A rather .stout, erect, biennial. 30-150 cm. high; 

 leaves narrow, dentate; coroUa yellow, opening 

 only in the evening. Open places, common, 

 native of this country. 



