1205 



VICIA. 



VIOLA. 



1206 



berries. This plant is a native of North America, on the mountains 

 of New York and New Jersey, and throughout Canada to the arctic 

 circle. 



(London, Arboretum et Fruticetum, Eritannicum.) 



VI'CIA, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order Legumin- 

 ous. The species are usually climbing herbs with abruptly pinnate 

 leaves, with many pairs of leaflets ; the common petiole terminating 

 in a tendril at> the apex, which is mostly branched ; the stipules are 

 semisagittate in form, and the peduncles axillary, 1- or many-flowered; 

 the calyx is tubular, 5-cleft or 5-toothed, the two upper teeth shortest; 

 the corulla papilionaceous; the stamens diadelphous ; the style fili- 

 form, being at right angles with the ovary, villous on the upper side, 

 and on the under side beneath the apex ; the legume 1-celled, many- 

 seeded, oblong ; the seeds with a lateral oval or linear hilum. The 

 species of this genus are very numerous. 



V. siitiva. Common Vetch, or Tare, has leaves with tendrils ; tlie 

 leaflet!) 0-10, obovate, mucronate ; flowers usually twin, sessile, ; calyx 

 cylindrical; a style bearded at the apex; compressed oblong some- 

 what torulose reticulated erect legumes, with smooth globose seeds. 

 This plant is a native throughout Europe, and its extensive cultivation 

 diffuses it more abundantly. It is also found in North America, about 

 Fort Vancouver. 



V. biennis, Biennial Vetch, has about 12 lanceolate glabrous leaflets, 

 furrowed petioles, and many-flowered peduncles hardly longer than 

 the leaves. This plant is a native of Siberia, and is very hardy, con- 

 tinuing green throughout the winter, and furnishing an early fodder. 



V. Cracca, Tufted Vetch, has many-flowered peduncles longer than 

 the leaves ; flowers imbricate, crowded, of a fine purple colour, and 

 nearly entire semi-sagittate stipules. It is a native of Europe, and is 

 common in Great Britain in bushy places. 



V. pitiformii, Pea-like Vetch, is a quite smooth plant with 3-i pairs 

 of ovate leaflets ; ovate semi-sagittate toothed stipules, with niauy- 

 flowered peduncles ; and oblong reticulately-veined legumes. It is a 

 native of the south of Europe, in woods, and is cultivated on account 

 of its seeds. 



V. lepium, Bush- Vetch, has flowers mostly in fours, somewhat 

 stalked ; upright glabrous legumes ; ovate obtuse leaflets. It is a 

 native of Europe, and is common in Great Britain in woods and 

 shady places. It shoots early in the spring, and would answer for 

 feeding cattle; but an objection to its cultivation exists, as its seeds 

 are liable to the attacks of the larva) of a species of Attdabua. It 

 has been recommended to be sown among clover for mowing. 



V. tyh-alica, the Wood Vetch, has many-flowered peduncles longer 

 than the leaves, elliptico-obloug mucronate leaflets, and lunate stipules 

 deeply toothed at their base. It is a native of Europe in mountain 

 woods, and is abundant in the north of England and Scotland. It has 

 numerous large white flowers streaked with bluish veins, and is the 

 handsomest of the British species. Its stems are from 3 to G feet high, 

 climbing by means of its branching tendrils. It has been recommended 

 ag a valuable plant for fodder. 



V. lutto. Uough-Podded Yellow Vetch, has sessile solitary flowers; 

 the standard glabrous ; the legumes reflexed, hairy ; the stems diffuse ; 

 the stipules coloured. It is a native of the south of Europe. In 

 Great Britain it is occasionally found on stony ground, especially near 

 the sea. 1U stems are from 6 to 12 inches high, and it has long yellow 

 flower*. 



V. BMijnica, Rough-Podded Purple Vetch, has stalked mostly 

 solitary flowers, with rough upright legumes ; petioles with two pairs 

 of lanceolate leaflets, and toothed stipules. It is a native of the south 

 of Kurope. It occurs occasionally in Great Britain, in gravelly soils, 

 more especially near the sea. It is a prostrate plant with purple and 

 white flowers. 



VICO'A, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order Compo- 

 til'.e, and sub-tribe fnulev. 



VICUGNA, or VICUNA. [LLAMA.] 



VIDCA. [PLOCEINA] 



VILLA'RSIA, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order 

 , named after Villars, a French botanist. It has a 5-parted 

 calyx ; a subrotate corolla with spreading limb, the segments with a 

 flat disc ; 2-lobed stigmas, the lobes toothed ; 5 hypogynous glands ; 

 a 1-celled 2 valved or valveless capsule ; Beads naked, or girded with 

 a membranous margin. There are about 16 species of this genus. 

 They are either aquatic or marsh plants, with alternate entire leaves 

 nnd yellow flowers. They are inhabitants of all parts of the world. 

 One only is a native of Europe. 



V. Xymphaoidei, Nympha>a-like Vi!larbi;i, is a floatiug plant, with 

 orbicular-cordate leaves ; the peduncles single-flowered, and aggregate; 

 the segments of the corolla ciliate. It is a native of Denmark, Hol- 

 land, Sweden, Germany, Piedmont, and of Siberia. It is found in 

 ditches and slow-running streams. It is also a native of Groat Britain, 

 though comparatively a rare plant. It is found in tlie Thames, in 

 the recesses of the shores near Walton Bridge, near Botley Bridge, 

 Oodstow Bridge, and Hinksey Ferry. It occurs also in the fens of 

 iimliip- nnd iii Yorkshire. It is a beautiful plant, and may be 

 easily cultivated. It has a large yellow flower, which w curiously 

 plaited. It is a very abundant plant in Holland, frequently covering 

 Urge tracts of the canals with its beautiful yellow flowers and dark- 

 green leaver 



VILLARSITE, a Mineral whose primary form is a rhombic prism. 

 Colour yellowish-green. Fracture granular. Hardness 3'0 to 3'5. 

 Subtransparent. It is found at Traversella in Piedmont. It contains 

 silica, magnesia, protoxide of iron, protoxide of manganese, lime, 

 potash, and water. 



VINA'GO. [COLUMBIDJE.] 



VINCA (from ' vinco,' to bind), a genus of Plants belonging to the 

 natural order Apocynacew. It has a salver-shaped corolla, with the 

 tube longer than the calyx, and the throat bearded ; the segments 

 of the limb flat, oblique, 5-lobed, truncate at the apex ; 5 stamens 

 inserted in the throat, inclosed with short filaments. Five or six 

 species of this genus have been described ; they are creeping, suff'ru- 

 ticose, or herbaceous plants, with smooth shining opposite leaves, 

 with blue, purple, or white flowers, seated on solitary axillary alter- 

 nate peduncles. They are natives of Europe, in shady places. 



V. major, Greater Periwinkle, has stems rather erect, ovato-acute 

 ciliated leaves ; teeth of the calyx linear, subulate, ciliated, and 

 usually with a smaller tooth on each side at the base ; the segments 

 of the corolla are broad and ovate. It is a native of the middle and 

 southern parts of Europe, and is apparently wild in many parts of 

 Great Britain, but it may be doubted whether it is an original native 

 of this island. Its flowers are of a fine puple-blue colour, and are 

 larger than those of any other species. The Euglish name, Periwinkle, 

 seems to be derived from the French, Perveuche. In Chaucer's time 

 it was called Perwinke : 



" There sprang the violet al newe, 

 And fresh perwiake rich of hewe." 



The flowers appear early in spring, and continue open all the 

 summer. It is well adapted for growing on the ground of shrubberies, 

 as well as on the banks of hedgerows, or in any shady place. In olden 

 times great virtues were attributed to the Periwinkle ; amongst other 

 things, Culpepper says, " the leaves of the Periwinkle eaten by man 

 and wife together do cause love between them." In Italy this plant 

 is called Fiore di Morte, from the practice of making garlands of it 

 in which to bury dead children. It was at one time much used in 

 sorceries aud incantations, hence the French still call it Violette des 

 Sorciers. 



V. minor, Lesser Periwinkle, has procumoeut stems; the flowering 

 stems usually erect. It is a native of Europe, in the same situations 

 as the last, and is often found in Great Britain. 



VINCULARIA. [POLYZOA.] 



VINE. [Vms.] 



Vl'OLA, a genus of Plants, the type of the natural order Violacece. 

 The sepals are unequal, 5, all more or less drawn out downwards into 

 ear-like appendages, erect after flowering; petals 5, unequal, convolute 

 in aestivation, with 3-nerved claws, the lower one drawn downwards 

 into a hollow spur ; stamens 5, approximate or coarctate, inserted on 

 the top of the teeth of a pentagonal 5-toothed torus ; the filaments 

 dilated at the base, oblong or triangular, bearing the anthers low 

 down ; lobes of anthers spreading at the base ; the two anterior 

 stamens bearing on their back two nectariferous lancet shaped round 

 or linear appendages, which are drawn in within the spur. The 

 species of this genus are exceedingly numerous. 



V. odorata, Common Sweet Violet, has no stem ; a hooked naked 

 stigma ; creuated smoothish roundish-cordate leaves ; ovate obtuse 

 sepals, the two lateral petals with a hairy line ; the spur very bluut ; 

 the capsules turgid, hairy ; the seeds turbinate, whitish ; the stoles 

 creeping, long, rooting. This plant is a native throughout the whole 

 of Europe, and in Siberia and China. It is common in England, but 

 is a rare plant in Scotland and Ireland. Wherever tMs plant grows 

 its delicious scent has made it a great favourite. 



V, kirta, the Hairy Violet, has no stem, the whole plant villous or 

 pubescent. It is found throughout Europe, and is not uncommon in 

 England, though rare in Scotland. 



V. canina, Dog's Violet, has an herbaceous ascending channelled 

 stem and cordate acute leaves. The flowers are blue and scentless. 

 It is a native of Europe and America. 



V. palustris, the Marsh Violet, has jointed scaly roots ; a marginate 

 stigma ; smooth cordately kidney-shaped leaves ; broad ovato-acumi- 

 nate stipules. It is more abundant in Scotland than England. 



V. lactea, Cream-Coloured Violet, has an ascending stem, with ovato- 

 lanceolate glabrous leaves, dentate stipules, and acuminate bracts. It 

 is a native of boggy heaths in Switzerland, France, and Britain. It 

 is by some considered ouly a variety of V. palustria. V. biflora is a 

 native of Europe and North America, and has a 2-flowered stem with 

 small yellow flowers, the lip being streaked with black. 



V. tricolor, Three-Coloured Violet, Heart's-Ease, or Pansy, has a 

 somewhat fusiform root ; diffuse branched stems ; lower leaves ovato- 

 cordate, deeply creuate; ruuciuately piuuatifid stipules, with the 

 middle lobe crenated ; spur thick, obtuse ; nectaries liiic-ar. This plant 

 is a native of cultivated fields and gardens throughout Europe, Siberia, 

 and North America. The pet;ils vary exceedingly in colour aud size, 

 and this tendency has been taken advantage of by the floriculturist 

 for producing varieties of this flower, and there is no flower that has 

 received more attention than the Pausy. [PANSY, in AUTS AND So. Div.] 



V. lutea, Yellow Mountain- Violet, or Yellow Pausy, lias a fibrous 

 slender root;- simple triangular stems ; ovate oblong orenate fringed 



