VIOLA SAGITTATA. ARROW-LEAVED VIOLET. I 3 I 



likely to meet with in the early spring season, — and the flower- 

 stems have generally an erect habit, and extend above the leaves, 

 while the Common Blue Violet, with which the Arrow-leaved 

 Violet is most likely to be confounded by beginners in collect- 

 ing, has the flower-stalks shorter than the leaves. 

 Though the Violet is essentially a spring flower, — 



" The youth of primy Nature, 

 Forward, not permanent ; sweet, not lasting ! 

 The perfume and suppliance of a minute, 

 No more," 



as Laertes tells us in " Hamlet," it by no means ceases to bloom 

 in a certain way, but continues to produce seed-vessels during 

 most of the summer season. The flowers which appear in 

 early spring are complete, that is to say, they have not only the 

 organs of generation, but the petals are also perfectly developed, 

 while those which are of later growth produce seeds from apeta- 

 lous buds, often under ground, and are called " cleistogamic." 

 Although the name for this kind of flower is new, the fact of 

 their existence has been known for many years. Salmon, a 

 writer in the time of Queen Anne, nearly two hundred years ago, 

 says : " The flower of the Violet consists of five leaves, with a 

 short tail. After these, come forth round seed-vessels, standing 

 likewise on their short footstalks, in which is contained round 

 white seed ; but these heads rise out from the stalks on which 

 the flowers grew (as is usual in all other plants), but apart by 

 themselves, and being sown, will produce others like unto itself." 

 It is quite probable that it was in the Violets that this strange 

 peculiarity was first noticed ; but within the past twenty years, 

 quite a large list of plants with these interesting flowers has 

 been made out. The whole subject has become one of deep 

 study since the writings of Mr. Darwin appeared. It is sup- 

 posed that the colors of flowers have the purpose of attracting 

 insects, so that pollen may be brought to one plant from 

 another; but the complete flowers of the Violet seem rarely to 



