VIOLACE^. 21 



inside the spur, pollen is shaken out of the anthers, 

 where it had been held in by the flaps, onto the insect's 

 back. When the insect visits another flower of the 

 same species cross-fertilization is effected. Pollination 

 would often not take place in wet weather for lack of 

 insects ; and to compensate for this there are often other 

 flowers, very much smaller, which do not open at all, but 

 are fertilised by the pollen growing directly out of the 

 anthers onto the stigma (of the same flower). The fruit 

 is a round or oblong capsule which splits into three boat- 

 shaped pieces with a row of seeds down the middle of 

 each. All are small perennial herbs, with alternate or 

 radical, often heart-shaped, long-stalked leaves, and 

 conspicuous stipules. Flowers solitary on long slender 

 stalks, which bear a small bract about two-thirds the 

 way up. 



Species 300 all over the world but mostly in temperate 

 regions and the mountains of the northern hemisphere. 



Many are peculiar to the Andes of South America, a few occur in Brazil, 

 South Africa, and tropical Africa ; eight in Australia and New Zealand, 

 five in the Sandwich Islands. 



Named from the old Greek naj/ie ion, for a common European species. 



Plants of the open grass land, not connected by runners ; leaves 

 much longer than broad V. patrinii. 



Shade-loving plants, usually connected by runners ; leaves heart- 

 shaped. 



Sepals ovate-obtuse ; stipules almost entire ; branches and 

 internodes very long V. distans. 



Sepals long-attenuate from a lanceolate base ; stipules laciniate. 

 or deeply toothed V. serpens, 



Viola patrinii DC. ; Wall Cat. 1445 ! ; F.B.L i 183, I 2; 

 the Spear-leafed Violet. Rootstock stout and woody^ 

 without runners. Leaves variable, but usually Ian ceo 

 late, abruptly narrowed at the base, finely but distantly 

 serrate or crenate, glabrous ; blade 2 to 3 inches ; stalk 

 long and clasping the rootstock at the base. t. 17. 

 Wight 111. t. 18 (V. walkerii). 



