58 VIOLET FAMILY. 



5 petals, and 5 stamens ; the claws of the petals sometimes slightly united . 



ovary one-celled with three parietal placentae, a single style and stigma, 



Fruit a globular woody pod, many-seeded. 



P. Tobira, COMMON 1'. A low tree, cultivated as a house-plant (from 

 Japan), with ohovate and rctusc evergreen leaves crowded at the end ol 

 the branches, which are terminated by a small sessile umbel of white fragrant 

 Hovers, produced in winter. 



14. VIOLACE^E, VIOLET FAMILY. 



Commonly known only by the principal genus of the order, viz. 



VIOLA, VIOLET. (Ancient Latin name.) Sepals 5, persistent. Pet- 



als 5, more or less unequal, the lower one with a sac or spur at the base. 



(Lessons, p. 91, fig. 181, 182.) Stamens 5, short: the very broad Hat ti la- 



ments conniving and slightly cohering around the pistil, which they cover, 



all but the end of the style and the (usually one-sided) stigma, bearing the 



anthers on their inner face, two of these spurred at the base. Ovary and pod 



1 -celled, with 3 parietal placenta?, containing several rather large seeds. 



Herbs, with stipules to the alternate leaves, and 1-flowered peduncles. 



* STEMLESS VIOLETS, with leaves and peduncles all from creeping or sub- 



terranean rootstocks, there being no proper ascending steins : all flowering in 



spring, also producing inconspicuous flowers and most of the fruitful pods, 



all summer, concealed among the leaves. 



+- Garden species, from Europe : fragrant* 



V. Odorata, SWEET VIOLET. Cult, from En., the tufts spreading by 

 creeping runners : leaves rounded heart-shaped, more or less downy ; flowers 

 purple-blue (violet-color) varying to bluish and white, single or in cultivation 

 commonly full double. Hardy ; while the ITALIAN VIOLET, the variety used 

 for winter-blooming, with leaves smoother and brighter green and flowers paler 

 or grayish-blue, is tender northward. 



- -i- Wild species : slightly sweet-scented or scentless. 



*-* Flowers blue or violet-color. 



V. Selkirk!!, SELKIRK'S V. Small, only 2' high, the rounded heart- 

 shaped leaves spreading flat ou the ground ; the flower large in proportion, its 

 thick spur nearly as long as the beardless petals : on shady banks, only N. 



V. sagittata, ARROW-LEAVED V. One of the commonest and earliest ; 

 leaves varying from oblong-heart-shaped to ovate and often rather halln-rd- 

 shaped, the earlier ones on short and margined petioles ; flower large in propor- 

 tion ; spur short and sac-shaped, as in all the following. 



V. cucullata, COMMON BLUE V. The tallest and commonest of the 

 "blue violets, in all low grounds, with matted fleshy and scaly-toothed rootstocks, 

 ct and heart-shaped or kidney-shaped obscurely serrate leaves, with the si<l"s 

 the base rolled in when young, on long petioles ; flowers sometimes pale 01 



V. palmata, HAND-LEAF V., is a variety of the last, with the leaves, cr 

 jl the later ones, 3 - 7-clcft or parted ; common southward. 



V. pedata, BIRD-FOOT V. Grows in sandy or light soil, from a short an i 

 thick or tuber-like rootstock ; the leaves all cut into linear divisions or lobes ; 

 the flower large, beardless, usually ligjit violet-color : sometimes the two upper 

 petals deep dark violet, like a pansv. 



V. delphin ifblia, LARKSPUR-LEAVED V., takes the place of the preced- 

 ing in prairies, &.e. W. and is like it, but has the lateral petals bearded. 

 *-* - Fftitt'rrs (small) it'll fli\ flu' /<!(/ jxf<i/ pitrjjlixh-n-iiinl. 



-V. blanda, SWEET WHITE V. Very common, with family sweet-scented 

 A IC.0 r\ flowers, all the petal; beardless; leaves rounded heart-shaped or kidney-shaped. 



V. prim.ulsef.61ia, I'HIMKM-I.-U.WI.D V. Common S., between the last 



and next, has oblong or ovate leavrs. 



V. lanceolata, LAM -\-.-\.\ \\ -i :n V. Commonest S., has lanceolate leaves 

 tapering into long petioles, and beardless petals. 



