MosKolu and Lo-werre 159 



to distinguish the species. A variety of Bird's- Foot 

 Violet that grows here appears like a small pansy, and 

 is designated as Viola bicolor, producing two delicate, 

 velvety hues of blue-purple. The plant derived its 

 common name from the shape of the leaves, which are 

 divided into five to eleven pointed lobes. 



The early Greek name for Violets and Pansies was 

 Ion. According to Emperor Constantine, it arose from 

 /<?, a nymph loved of Jupiter, Nicander wrote that the 

 name Ion was given to Violets because the Nymphs 

 first presented Jupiter with these flowers in the fields 

 of Ionia. They were known to Virgil as Vaccinium, 

 and later in Latin as VittulcB, Violce, and to-day they are 

 classified as Viola. Species of these plants were desig- 

 nated by the early Greek apothecaries as '' Herbes Bol- 

 bonac.'" In the sixteenth century plants of this family 

 grew wild among the corn-field stubbles of England, 

 according to Dodoens and Lyte. They were known as 

 Viola, lacea, Herbe Clauellata, Pances, Love-in-idleness, 

 and Heart' s-Ease. 



The Downy Yellow Violet ( Viola pubesce^is), al- 

 though not so common as blue violets in Bronx 

 Woods, is abundant in special corners among the 

 damp hillsides. Here, too, the Sweet White Violet 

 ( Viola blanda) dwells near the borders of streams. It 

 is delicately fragrant, although not so sweet-scented as 

 the Canada Violet ( Viola Canadensis) growing north- 

 ward as well as southward along mountainside streams. 

 The perfume of the Canada Violet is much like that 

 of the Small Yellow Moccasin-Flower. 



