62 THE STORY OF PLANT LIFE 
nate with the petals and are sessile, and the anthers 
form a ring round the ovary, and are prolonged into a 
slight membrane and connate. The ovary is one-celled 
and sessile, with an ascending style, swollen at the 
base with a slender hooked stigma. The seeds are in 
three rows in a three-valved capsule and numerous. 
THE SWEET VIOLET (Viola odorata). 
According to the ancients Io was the cow into 
which one of Jupiter’s lovers was changed, and her 
food was Violets, which the earth brought forth. 
Pliny, at any rate, uses this name for the plants 
included in the genus by Linnzus. The second 
Latin name, meaning fragrant or sweet, refers to one 
of its characteristics—its sweet perfume. 
On this account, and because of the beautiful blue 
colour of the flowers, the Violet is a great favourite, 
redolent of Spring and the woods. Many varieties 
are grown for the garden, and perfume is obtained 
from this species. 
The Sweet Violet is found in most of our counties, 
excent in some parts of Wales, Lancashire (Mid), 
and Scotland. In many places it is doubtless, how- 
ever, planted, but may be regarded as wild in South 
and East England. It used, in fact, to be cultivated 
at Stratford-on-Avon. A syrup was made from it, 
and used by chemists to detect an acid or alkali. It 
is found generally throughout Europe. In Greece it 
was used by girls to colour the eyelids blue, and a 
preparation of it was used for the eyes. Besides this 
