WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE 



twice as long as wide and nearly lance-shaped are 

 found. The golden-centred flowers vary widely in 

 size and colour, graduating in the latter from light 

 purple to pale violet, and even striped varieties fre- 

 quently occur. While they are found commonly in 

 open, sunny places, Violets as a family are to be seen 

 at their best where there is shade and moisture, and in 

 the vicinity of cool streams and springs they are most 

 beautifully developed. The lower petal is spurred, and, 

 together with the two lateral or side ones, which are 

 prettily bearded, have a flash of white at their base 

 and are marked with dark purple lines. The stamens 

 are tipped with orange. The rootstock is short and 

 thick, and the foliage which closely surrounds the flowers 

 is full bright green in colour. This Violet does not 

 produce runners, but flowerless buds succeed the true 

 flowers and mature without opening. The large, 

 heart-shaped leaf is prominently ribbed, and has a 

 toothed or scalloped edge. The surface is covered with 

 very fine hairs, and before they are fully matured, the 

 lobes of the leaves are curled upward. The flower 

 stern is slender and smooth, and the leaf stem is grooved 

 on one side, and both rise direct from the root. 



EARLY BLUE VIOLET 



Viola palmata. Violet Family. 



Although not so abundant as the widely distributed 

 Meadow Violet, with which everybody is so familiar, 

 the Early Blue Violet is very common. Its flowers are 

 smaller, and the plant is more or less hairy, and alto- 



34i 



