violace^: 



39 



The Dog Violet (Viola canind) is generally of a 

 paler blue, and scentless. It is as common as the 

 Sweet Violet, if not more so, and grows freely in 

 open places. An infusion of the leaves has lately 

 been tried as a cure for cancer, both as a drink 

 and locally. But the experiment does not seem 

 to have led to any improvement. 



The Yellow Violet (Viola lutea) is found on 

 some of the English, Welsh and Scotch mountains. 



Heartsease or Wild Pansy — Viola tricolor 



(Plate XIII) 



This plant is very common on waste ground, 

 and also grows as a weed in gardens and corn- 

 fields. The stem is decumbent, branching and 

 spreading. The leaves are placed alternately, and 

 are oval and denticulated. The leaflets are clustered, 

 pinnate, the pinnae long, with smooth edges ; and 

 the terminal pinna is the .longest. The flower- 

 stalks rise singly in the axils of the leaves ; they are 

 long, quadrangular, and furrowed at the back. The 

 calyx is smooth, and the corolla is twice as large 



as the calyx. The lower petal is rather larger than 

 the rest, and marked towards the tube with 7 

 lines ; it passes into an obtuse spur at the base. 

 The flower is very variable both in size and colour. 

 It seeds and spreads much faster than most species 

 of Viola. A fluid extract of the leaves has been 

 used as an expectorant in cough. 



Most of the insects recorded as feeding on 

 different species of Viola are the caterpillars of 

 butterflies and moths. Among the most notice- 

 able are some of those beautiful butterflies called 

 Fritillaries. There are different species, measuring 

 from an inch and a half to three inches and upwards 

 across the wings ; but all of a rich tawny, with 

 black spots, on the upper surface, and with silvery 

 white spots or streaks on the under-surface of the 

 hindwings. Their caterpillars are dark-coloured 

 and spiny ; but the hairy caterpillars of the White 

 and Buff Ermine Moths (Spilosoma menthastri and 

 .S. lubricipeda) will also feed on Violets as well as 

 on other low plants. These caterpillars are also 

 brown, with a yellow stripe or yellow spots. The 

 moths are white or dull yellow, with numerous 



