Teacher's Leaflet. 



^33 



(27). Of what use to the plant are these little closed flowers? 

 (28). What sort of rootstock has the plant? Is it short and thick 

 or slender? Erect, oblique or creeping? 



Facts for the teacher. — The different species of Violets are found in quite different 

 places; some live in the woods, others in meadows and others in damp marshy 

 ground. Care should be taken to make the pupil sketch the leaf accurately as 

 the differences in the shapes of the leaves in many instances characterize the 

 species. The Violets are divided into two distinct groups, those where the leaf 

 stems come directly from the root and those where the leaves come from a com- 

 mon stem, the latter being called the leafy-stemmed Violets. In several of the 

 species the size and shape of the stipule determines the species; and whether the 

 leaves and stems are downy or smooth is another important characteristic. In 

 the case of those species where the leaves spring from the root the flower stems 

 also spring from the root, but in the leafy-stemmed Violets the flower stems arise 

 from the axils of the leaves. In some species the flower stems lift the flowers far 

 above the foliage; in others they are so short that the flowers are more or less 

 hidden. The Violet has five sepals and their shape and length is important as a 



TJie Selkirk's Violet. 

 27 



Photo by Verae Morton. 



Rather rare, TJte flowers are pale purple veined with 

 dark blue. 



