PENTANDRIA— MONOGYNIA. Viola. SOI 



111. VIOLA. Violet. 



Linn. Gen. 457. Juss. 294. Fl. Br. 244. Sm.in Rees's Cycl. v. 37. 

 Tourn. t. 236. Lam. t. 725. Gartn. t. 112. 



Nat. Ord. Campanacece. Linn. 24. Allied to Cisti. Juss. 80. 

 Violacece. Venten. Malmais. 27. Deeand. 17. 



[Ventenat declares, after Jussien, that Viola is the type of a 

 natural order, presumed to exist, but of which no other 

 genus is known. It were better to say it cannot be referred 

 to any known order; for though it possesses here and 

 there a character of several different orders, it is hardly 

 allied, on the whole, to any one.] 



Cat. inferior, permanent, of 5 ovate-oblong, erect, equal, 

 acute leaves, inserted above their obtuse base ; 2 of them 

 subtending the uppermost petal ; one each of the lateral 

 petals ; and one the 2 lowermost. Cor. irregular, of 5 un- 

 equal petals ; the uppermost solitary, broadest, most ob- 

 tuse, slightly cloven, directed downward (the position of 

 the flower being reversed), terminating at the base in a 

 horn-shaped blunt nectary, projecting betwixt the calyx- 

 leaves ; 2 lateral petals opposite, equal, obtuse, straight ; 

 2 lowermost (turned upward) equal, larger. Filam. very 

 small, 2 of which, adjoining the odd petal, have 2 com- 

 bined spurs, which enter the nectary. Anth. broad, con- 

 verging, scarcely connected, obtuse, each terminating in 

 a membranous point. Germ, superior, roundish. Style 

 thread-shaped, projecting beyond the anthers. Stigma 

 oblique, pointed or concave. Caps, ovate, triangular, ob- 

 tuse, of 1 cell and 3 rigid, finally reflexed, valves. Seeds 

 several in each cell, ovate, polished, attached to the linear 

 central receptacle of each valve. 



The stigma of V. odorata, and its allies, is a simple hooked 

 point ; in V. tricolor, and others of the Pansy tribe, it is 

 a hollow knob, perforated at the summit, and gaping oc- 

 casionally. The Jlower is reversed, or inverted, in all the 

 Europsean species ; in most of the Indian ones erect. 



The species are numerous, almost entirely herbaceous, and 

 of humble stature. Stem trailing, or erect, or wanting. 

 Leaves stalked, simple, mostly alternate; in some instances 

 deeply divided ; in all crenate, or serrated. Stipidas in 

 pairs, various and remarkable. Fl. on simple stalks, va- 

 riously coloured ; very often streaked in a radiant man- 

 ner, like Veronica. One species especially is highly fra- 

 grant, and gives its name to a peculiar deep purplish-blue 



