130 VIOLA SAGITTATA. ARROW-LEAVED VIOLET. 



And similar allusions to the Violet, as one of the earliest of 

 spring flowers, are very common in the writings of the best 

 authors. Of course these passages refer to the Violet of the 

 ( )ld World, whi( h is not a native of the United States; but most 

 of the poetic associations with the classic Violet are applicable 

 to many of our own species. As regards earliness, our present 

 species may well claim to be admitted as a contestant. The 

 Viola cucullata, or Common Blue Violet, has earned the popular 

 name of " Early Blue Violet," but it is questionable whether in 

 a close average, drawn under equal circumstances, the Arrow- 

 leaved Violet would not be awarded the palm. In the vicinity 

 of Philadelphia, it particularly delights to grow on the dry 

 slopes formed by decaying rocks of mica schist, and it is but 

 seldom that those who go out to gather wild flowers after a 

 few warm days at the end of March, or early in April, and 

 who visit these sunny, sheltered spots, return without at least 

 a few Arrow-leaved Violets. Besides being early, it is also 

 continuous. Our drawing was made from a specimen gathered 

 near Philadelphia in May. The flowers often grow larger than 

 those we have chosen for illustration, and in the richness of their 

 blue probably exceed those of all our other species of violets. 



One might suppose, from the name " Arrow-leaved Violet," 

 that the leaves would afford a fair, distinctive mark ; but 

 these organs often resemble a spoon as much as an arrow- 

 head, and there are, indeed, some other species which have 

 sagittate leaves more frequently than this one. Again, the 

 leaves are often very hairy, and this is especially the case in 

 plants growing on high, dry ground, while in damp situations 

 the leaves are generally quite smooth. Indeed, in most plants 

 the form, or the hairiness of leaves is not relied on now as an 

 exact character in determining species ; but these points are 

 useful, in connection with other characters, if we do not for- 

 get that they are variable. Although the leaves are not always 

 like an arrow-head, the base is generally abruptly drawn in to 

 form the petiole, — more so than in the other species one is 



