ACAULESCENT VIOLETS. 143 
notwithstanding that the flowers of Hill's figure are a 
fiction, and the leaves an unbotanical artist's convention- 
alism, it is more than possible that one of our commonest 
American violets was held in view. I have little doubt. 
that to one of two very distinct species long known under 
the name of V. cucullata may be conceded the name V. 
obliqua, Hill. It is a glabrous plant, showing never a trace 
of the villous hairiness of V. palmata, its leaves always 
erenate-toothed and somewhat evenly so, never in any man- 
ner lobed or cut; at flowering time often presenting the 
general leaf-outline given in Hill's figure, though the later 
leaves are usually broader than long, being reniform-ovate 
or even ovate-reniform. This species is the most common 
of all East American violets, preferring heavy but not wet 
soils, often growing in great abundance in rather low copses 
or even somewhat dense moist thickets. Itsapetalous sum- 
mer flowers are on very short horizontal peduncles, the 
growing ovary being concealed under dead foliage or the 
lighter mold about the base of the plant. The ovary itself 
is obovoid and short, not angular. I believe that the species 
has several specific names already; but I am confident it 
can never be proven that it is not V. obliqua, Hill; and 
since that is the oldest possible name for it, I here leave it 
under that designation. 
The other extremely distinct species, confused with this 
even by Mr. Pollard, unless unknown to him, I shall for 
several reasons here designate as— 
V. cvcurLATA, Ait.? This is a very glabrous plant, of 
more tender and succulent herbage, mere decidedly cucul- 
late leaves of a more vivid (not so deep or dark) green, and 
paler flowers, the petals with a spot of darker violet} just 
above the white basal part or claw. It is most perfectly dis- 
tinguished from allthe foregoing by bearing its cleistog- 
amous flowers on greatly elongated very slender peduncles 
Which are strictly erect, both the growing and full-grown 
Ovaries being a half-foot or more above ground and up 
