242 Order 16.— VIOLACEiE. 



placentae Style 1, decimate. Stig. cucullate. Fr. a 3-valved capsule. Sds. manj^ 

 with a crustaceous testa and distinct chalaza. (Illustrations in Figs. 101. 305, 348, 

 402, G04.) 



Genera 15, species 300, mostly inhabitants of the Northern temperate zone. The roots of 

 almost all the Viohice* possess emetic properties, and some are valued in medicine. The Ipccao 

 of the shop is partly the product of certain Brazilian species of Ionidium. Several species of 

 the violet are cultivated for the beauty of their flowers, 



§ Sepals unequal, more or less auricled at base Viola. 1. 



§ Sepals nearly equal, not auricled at base Solea. 2. 



1. VlOLA, L. Violet. Pansev. (From the Latin.) Sepals 5, unequal, 

 auricular at base ; petals 5, irregular, the broadest spurred at base, the 

 2 lateral equal, opposite ; stamens approximate, anthers connate, two of 

 them with appendages at the back ; capsule 1-celled, 3-valved, seeds 

 attached to the middle of the valves. — U Low, herbaceous plants. 

 Ped. angular, solitary, 1 -flowered, recurved at the summit so as to bear 

 the flowers in a resupinate position. Joints of the rhizome often bear- 

 ing apetalous flowers. 



* Acaulescent.— Petals yellow ■. .No. 1. 



—Petals white Nos. 2 — 1 



— Petals blue, — beardless : ... .Nos. 5—7. 



— bearded. — Lvs. divided .' Nos. 8, 9,3, 9> 



— Lvs. undivided Nos. 9—11. (Exotic No. 21.) 



• Caulescent. — Petals yellow. Sts. leafy at the top only Nos. 12 — 14. 



— Petals not quito yellow. — Stipules entire Nos. 15. 



— Stipules fringe-toothed Nos. 1G — 18. 



— Stipules lyrate-pinnatifid, very large. ..Nos. 19, 2d. 



1 V. rotundifolia Mx. Fig. 305. Lvs. orbicular-ovate, cordate, slightly ser- 

 rate, nearly smooth, with the sinus closed ; petiole pubescent ; cal. obtuse. — A 

 email, early violet, found in woods, N. Eng. to Tenn. Lvs. varying from ovate to 

 reniform, mostly round, with a narrow sinus<at base. Veins and petioles pubes- 

 cent. Ped. as long as the leaves, sub-4-sided, bracted in tho middle. Petals yel- 

 low, marked at base with brown lines. Fls. small. Mar., May. 



2 V. lanceolata L. Lvs. smooth, lanceolate, tapering at base into the long petiole 

 obtusish, subcrenate. — Found in wet meadows, Can. and U. S. Rhizome creep- 

 ing. Lvs. varying from lanceolate to linear, and, with the stalk 3 — 5' long. 

 Petioles half-round. Ped. sub-4-sided. Petals white, greenish at base, upper and 

 lateral ones marked with blue lines, generally beardless. Fls. small, thoso from 

 tho lower nodes of the rhizomo apetalous. Mar. (S) — May. 



3 V. primulaefdlia L. Lvs. lance-ovate, abrupohj contracted at base and decur- 

 rent on the petiole ; petals nearly equal, beardless. — Found in damp soils, Mass. 

 to Ga. and Tenn. Rhizomo creeping. Lvs. sometimes subcordate, rather obtuse, 

 crenate, pubescent or nearly smooth. Petals obovate, flat, marked with purplo 

 line3 at base, generally beardless and obtuse. Fls. small, white, on sub-4-sided 

 stalks. May, in N. Eng. 



/?. acuta Torr. & Gr. — Smooth ; lvs. ovate ; petals acute, lateral ones nearly 

 beardless. Mass. (V. acuta Br.) 



4 V. blanda YVilld. Lvs. cordate, roundish, slightly pubescent; petiole pubes- 

 cent ; petals beardless. — Found in meadows, Can. to Penn. Rhizome slender and 

 creeping. Lvs. close to tho earth and sometimes with a rounded sinus so as to 

 appear reniform. Petioles half round. Peduncles sub-4-sided, longer than tho 

 leaves. Petals white, greenish at base, upper and lateral ones marked with a few 

 blue lines. Fls. small, fragrant. May (V. clandestina Ph. V. amcena Le Conte). 



5 V. palustris L. Lvs. reniform-cordate ; stip. broadly ovate, acuminate; stig. 

 margined; sep. ovate, obtuse, spur very short; caps, oblong- triangular. — Summits 

 of the White Mts. About 3' high, pubescent. Lvs. crenate, 1' by f. Fls. small, 

 pale blue on peduncles longer than the leaves and bibracteato near tho middle. 

 Rhizome creeping, scaly. Jn. 



6 V. Selkirkii Goldie. Selkirk's Violet. Lvs. orbicular-cordate, crenately se> 

 rate, the sinus deep and nearly closed ; spur nearly as long as the petals, thick 



