150 



FOUNDATIONS OF BOTANY 



§ 1. Stemless perennials. 



1. V. pedata, L. Bird-foot Violet, Horseshoe Violet, Sand 

 Violet. Rootstock stout, upright, not scaly. Leaves all palmately 

 5-9-parted into linear or linear-lanceolate divisions. Flowers showy, 

 about 1 in. broad, pale violet to whitish ; petals not bearded. 



2. V. palmata, L. Common Blue Violet. Rootstock stout and 

 scaly. Earlier leaves roundish heart-shaped or kidney-form and cre- 

 nate, with the sides rolled in at the base when young. The later 

 ones variously cleft or parted. Flowers dark or light blue, some- 

 times whitish ; the lateral petals bearded. 



Variety cucullata, Gray. Common Blue Violet, Hood-leaf 

 Violet. Later leaves remaining nearly crenate, like the earlier 

 ones, in rich soil becoming very luxuriant. 



3. V. sagittata, Ait. Arrow-leaved Violet, Spade-leaf Vio- 

 let. Leaves very variable, ranging in shape from oblong-heart- 



A B 



Fig. 17. — Viola tricolor. 

 A, stamens and pistil ; B, pistil with stamens removed ; C, pod split open. 



shaped to triangular-halberd-shaped, very often with an arrow- 

 shaped base, the earlier ones on short, margined petioles, the later 

 frequently long-petioled. Flow^ers rather large, otherwise much as 

 in the preceding species. Variable and perhaps an aggregate of 

 several distinct species. 



4. V. blanda, Willd. Sweet White Violet. Rootstock long, 

 slender, and creeping. Leaves roundish heart-shaped or kidney- 

 shaped. Flowers rather small, whitish, sweet-scented, generally 

 beardless, with the lowermost petal exquisitely veined wi.th dark 

 purple lines, In damp or marshy ground. 



