320 



VIOLARIEJE. III. SCHWEIGGERIA. IV. VIOLA. 



f 



anthers low down ; lobes of anthers drawn out at the top ? di- 

 verging, but approximate at the base ; 2 anterior filaments bear- 

 ing on their back nectariferous awl-shaped appendages, which 

 are drawn in within the spur (f. 64. e.). Stigma ascending, usually 

 drawn out downwards into a somewhat spatulate appendage, 

 somewhat jnflexed at the top (f. 64./.). Capsule 1-celled, 3- 

 valved, many-seeded (f. 64. k.) ; seeds fixed to the middle of 

 the valves. Branched shrubs with reddish bark, about 6 feet high. 

 Leaves simple, alternate, serrated, deciduous, feather-nerved ; 

 stipulas small. Peduncles solitary, 1 -flowered, axillary, brac- 

 teate. This is an intermediate 'genus between Noisettia and 

 Viola, differing from both in the form of the calyx. 



1 S. FLORIBU'NDA (St. Hil. mem. mus. 11. p. 456. t. 22. b.) 

 leaves ovate-oblong, tapering to both ends, acute, and acutely 

 serrate-toothed ; peduncles axillary. Jj . S. Native of Brasil on 

 mountains near Rio Janeiro. Flowers white ; lower petal cu- 

 neated, streaked with yellow and red at the base. Glossarrhen 

 floribundus, Mart. fl. bras. 1. p. 22. 1. 15. 



Bundle-florvcred Tongue-violet, FIG 64 



Fl. Sept. Oct. Sh. 4-5 feet. 



2 S. PAUCIFLORA (Mart. fl. bras. 

 1. p.23. act. bonn. 12. p. 48. under 

 Glossarhen) leaves tapering much 

 to the base, obovately-spatulate, ob- 

 tuse, crenately serrulated ; pedun- 

 cles axillary. Jj.S. Native of Brasil 

 in the province of Bahia in shady 

 .stony places at the river Atahype. 

 Flowers white (f. 64.). 



Fern-flowered Tongue-violet. Fl. 

 Dec. Sh. 4 to 6 feet. 



Cult. These beautiful shrubs 

 will thrive in a mixture of loam, 

 sand, and peat, and young cuttings 

 will strike root readily if planted in 

 sand under a hand-glass, in heat. 



IV. V1 V OLA {iov, ion, a violet, in Greek. The ancients 

 feigned that violets were the first food of the cow lo, one of Ju- 

 piter's mistresses). Tourn. inst. 419. t. 236. D. C. prod. 1. 

 p. 291. Viola, spec. Lin. 



LIN. SYST. Pentdndria, Monogynia. Sepals unequal, all 

 more or less drawn out downwards into ear-like appendages, 

 (produced from the dilatation of the nerves,) erect after flowering. 

 Petals unequal, convolute in aestivation, with 3-nerved claws, 

 lower one drawn out downwards, more or less into a hollow spur. 

 Stamens approximate or coarctate (not joined) inserted on the 

 top of the teeth of a pentagonal, 5-toothed torus. Filaments 

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

 low down ; lobes of anthers spreading at the base ; the 2 ante- 

 rior stamens bearing on their back 2 nectariferous, filiform ap- 

 pendages of various shapes, which are drawn in within the spur. 

 Ovary sometimes superior, sometimes girded round at the base 

 by a concave torus, and therefore in this case appears half 

 inferior. Valves of capsule elastic, contracting at maturity and 

 ejecting the seeds. Seeds horizontal, manifestly carunculate, 

 more or less egg-shaped and shining. Embryo oblong ; radicle 

 rather terete ; cotyledons usually oblong-orbicular, flattisb, 

 scarcely longer than the radicle. Elegant, low herbs, for the 

 most part perennial, rarely annual, sometimes with a very short 

 or subterraneous stem, these are called stemless, sometimes 

 caulescent, rarely shrubby. Leaves alternate, marcescent. 

 Peduncles solitary, axillary 1 -flowered, furnished with 2 little 

 bracteas, not jointed, reflexed at the top. Flowers drooping. 

 Seminal leaves oblong or ovate, stalked ; primordial leaves oppo- 

 site, rarely meeting together. The roots of all the species act 



as emetics, some are used as a substitute for ipecacuanha, and 

 it has been ascertained by analysis that they contain the same 

 principle. In medicine the flowers of violets act as a laxative, 

 and the syrup is used by chemists to detect an acid or an alkali ; 

 for this purpose the V. odorata is cultivated to some extent at 

 Stratford upon Avon. 



We have here followed M. Gingins in the arrangement of the 

 species according to the form of the stigmas, but whether this 

 character has been sufficiently ascertained in all the species we 

 are not at present able to say. 



SECT. I. NOMI'NIUM (a name applied by old authors to some 

 kinds of violets). Ging. mss. D. C. prod. 1. p. 291. Stigma 

 beaked, with a little chink or hole situated on the apex of the 

 beak, which is more or less recurved, sometimes marginated 

 below, hence flattish and oblique, sometimes without the mar- 

 gin, and thence rather convex below. Style tapering from the 

 top to the base. Stamens oblong, approximate. Torus flattish. 

 Capsules usually 3-sided. Seeds 15-27. Seminal leaves 

 usually obovate or oblong. 



1. Stigmas depressed at the top, or marginated in the orb 

 below. Stemless herbs. 



* Roots (Rhizomas ?) toothed, more or less fleshy, usually 

 oblique. 



j- Leaves pedate, or lobed. 



1 V. PEDA'TA (Lin. spec. 1323.) stigma large, compressed at 

 the sides, obliquely truncate at the top, and perforated, with a 

 very short beak ; leaves full of pellucid dots, pedately many- 

 parted ; segments linear-lanceolate, variously lobed ; stipulas 

 pectinately jagged, adhering a considerable way ; petals all 

 smooth, superior one truncate ; sepals lanceolate, acute, ciliated, 

 emarginate behind. Tj. . H. Native from New England to Ca- 

 rolina, on dry sandy hills and in fields. Curt. bot. mag. 89. 

 Andr. hot. rep. t. 153. Flowers large, beautiful blue, with a 

 white base. 



Var. a, lineariloba (D. C. prod. 1. p. 291.) leaves pedately 

 5-7 parted ; partitions multifid ; lobes linear-lanceolate, entire, 

 ciliated. Curt. bot. mag. t. 89. Sweet, fl. gard. t. 69. Flowers 

 pale blue. Native of Virginia. 



Var. j3, ranunculifblia (Ging. mss. and D. C. prod. 1. c.) 

 leaves deeply lobed. V. ranunculifolia, Poir. diet. 8. p. 62C? 

 Flowers whitish ? Perhaps the same as the following. 



Pedate-\eaved Violet. Fl. May, June. Clt. 1759. PI. i ft. 



2 V. SEPTENLOBA (Le Conte in ann. lye. new york, 2. p. 

 141.) quite smooth, shining ; leaves rather succulent, ovate, cor- 

 date, toothed, lower ones entire, the rest pedately 7-lobed ; 

 middle lobe large ; peduncles somewhat tetragonal, longer than 

 the leaves ; sepals lanceolate, entire behind ; petals all entire, 

 upper one large, villous at the base, 2 lateral ones densely 

 bearded. I/ . H. Native of North America in Carolina and 

 Georgia, in pine-woods. Flowers large, 2 inches in diameter, 

 blue, but white at the base, and marked with darker lines. This 

 plant comes very near in habit to V. pedata, but is much 

 stronger, and is more worthy of that name than the plant that 

 bears it. 



Var. /3, albiflura (Le Conte, 1. c.) flowers white. 

 Seven-lobed-\eaved Violet. Fl. April, June. Clt. PI. | foot. 



3 V. PEDATI'FIDA ; leaves pedately 3-parted, middle partition 

 trifid, lateral ones bifid, all lobed. Very like V. pedata, but 

 differs in the two lateral petals being bearded. I/ . H. Native 

 of North America. Flowers beautiful blue. 



Pedati/id-\eaved Violet. Fl. May, June. Clt. 1826. Pl.ift. 



4 V. DIGIT A' TA (Pursli. fl. amer. sept. 1. p. 171.) leaves pal- 

 mately 5-7-lobed, tapering into the petiole behind ; lobes entire. 

 2{ . H. Native of Virginia. Flowers pale blue. 



Digitate-leaved Violet. Fl. May. Clt. ? PI. foot. 



