VIOLET FAMILY. Violaceee. 



The commonest violet of all, familiar on 



ViTlTpalma°ta troadsides and in fields - The leaves dee P 

 var. cuculata green, heart-shaped, scallop-toothed, and 

 Light purple somewhat coiled, especially when young. 

 etc * # Both stem and leaf are smooth. The flower 



varies in color from light purple to pale 

 violet ; rarely it is white purple-veined ; the three lower 

 petals are white at the base, and two of these— the lateral 

 ones— are beautifully fringed or bearded at the throat of 

 the flower. The leaf-stalks are usually a little longer 

 than the flower-stalks. 3-7 inches high. In low grounds 

 everywhere, especially in marshes where the flower- 

 stalks exceed those of the leaves, and the flowers are 

 much larger. This species is cross-fertilized mostly by 

 bumblebees, the insect touching the stigma first. 



Arrow-leaved A ver y sma11 s P ecies with dee P green, 

 Violet arrow-shaped leaves with blunt points, 



Viola sagittata and scallop- teeth, but the upper part of 

 Light violet t j ie i ea ves sometimes plain-edged. A 

 slight grayish bloom often characterizes 

 the foliage when it is seen en masse. The small flower 

 is light violet or deeper violet ; its lateral petals are 

 bearded, as are also the upper ones ; the lower petal is 

 veined, and its spur is short. 2-8 inches high. In wet 

 meadows or dry borders from Me., south to Ga., and 

 west to Minn., Neb., and Tex. It bears late cleistoga- 

 mous flowers. 



^. , «„.,.. Selkirk's Violet is a rather uncommon, 



Viola Selkirkn . tiw « J 



small, woodland species generally found 



among the hills. The stalks are erect and smooth, the 



leaves dark green and heart-shaped, deeply lobed at 



the base. The flowers are pale violet and beardless, 



with deep spurs. Moist soil, from Me. to Vt. , Mass., 



and Pa., and westward to Minn. Also in Europe and 



Asia. 



A small smooth species whose flower- 

 Marsh Violet s t a iks generally exceed those of the leaves, 

 Viola palustris . . , , ,, ,, , ,.,. 



I icht lilac which are broad heart-shaped and mdis- 



May^July tinctly scalloped. Sometimes the leaves 



are kidney-shaped. The small flowers are 



light violet or lilac, with purple veins ; the petals are 



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