I.I 



VIOLACE^E. 



127 



An herbaceous perennial, with stipulate alternate or 

 radical leaves, and pedunculate bracteolate irregular 

 flowers. 



OBSERVE the spur of the larger and lower (anterior) 

 petal, sheathing two narrow dorsal appendices from the 

 base of the connective of the two anterior anthers : the 

 small, almost apetalous, closed (hence called cleistoga- 

 mous) flowers, which appear after the petaloid large 

 flowers, in May or June, and which, self-fertilized, bear 

 fruits with numerous seeds : the dehiscence of the i -celled 



FIG. 84. Transverse section of the i -celled ovary of Violet, 

 showing 8 parietal placentas. 



fruit, which separates into 3 valves by the dorsal sutures 

 of the carpels (loculicidal dehiscence), each valve bearing 

 a (parietal) row of seeds. 



Besides Sweet Violet, the Pansy, derived from V. 

 tricolor and V. altaica, is very common in gardens. An 

 infusion of the petals of the Violet is a delicate test for 

 acids and alkalies 



