Helianthemum.] CISTINEJE. 47 



much branched, 6-8 in. Leaves £-£ in., ovate or oblong. Flowers |— § in. 

 diam., few, yellow. — Distrib. Europe, N. Africa, and W. Asia. 

 H. ca'num proper ; leaves hoary on both surfaces hairy above, sepals pubes- 

 cent and patently hairy.— Var. H. vinea'le, Pers. ; leaves hoary beneath nearly 

 glabrous above, sepals hoary and shortly hairy on the ribs and margins. — 

 W. Ireland, Aran Is. 



Order IX. viOLACE-flS. 



Herbs or shrubs. Leaves radical or alternate, entire or pinnatisect, 

 margins involute in vernation, stipulate. Flowers axillary, regular 

 or irregular, solitary or eymose, 2-bracteolate. Sepals 5, persistent, equal 

 or unequal, imbricate in bud. Petals 5, equal or unequal, hypogynous, 

 imbricate or contorted in bud. Disk 0. Stamens 5, filaments short, 

 broad, lower with honeyed spurs ; connectives broad, often connate, pro- 

 duced beyond the cells. Ovary sessile, 1 -celled ; style simple, stigma 

 entire cup-shaped or lobed ; ovules many, on 3 parietal placentas, anatro- 

 pous. Fruit a 3-valved capsule, rarely a berry. Seeds many, small, 

 funicle short, albumen fleshy ; embryo straight, cotyledons flat. — Distrib. 

 Temp, and trop. regions ; genera 21, species 240. — Affinities with 

 Bixinece, Passifloreos, and Frankeniaeece. — Properties. Emetic and 

 laxative. 



1. vi'OLA, L. Violet, Pansy, Heartsease. 



Low herbs, rarely shrubs. Leaves radical or alternate. Flowers on 

 1- rarely 2- fid. peduncles. Sepals subequal, produced at the base. Petals 

 erect or spreading ; lower largest, spurred or saccate at the base. Anthers 

 connate, connectives of the 2 lower often spurred at the base. Style 

 swollen above, tip straight or oblique, stigma obtuse or cup-shaped. 

 Capsule 3-valved ; valves elastic. Seeds ovoid or globose. — Distrib. All 

 temp, regions ; species 100. — Etym. The old Latin name. — Flowers often 

 cleistogamous (except in sect. Melanium), the large-petalled appear early 

 and often yield no seed ; the small-petalled or apetalous appear late, and 

 are prolific. 



Section 1. Nomin'ium. Stipules not leafy. Upper petals directed 

 forwards. Stigma oblique. — Apetalous autumnal flowers chiefly fertile. 



* Stem very short. Leaves enlarging after Jlowering. Sepals obtuse. 



1. V. palus'tris, L. ; nearly glabrous, rootstock subterranean creeping, 

 leaves renifurm-cordate, style straight, stigma obliquely truncate, fruiting 

 peduncle erect. 



Swamps and bogs, N. to the Shetlands, ascends to 4,000 ft., rarer in S. Eng- 

 land ; Ireland; fi. April-July.— Rootstock white, scaly; runners short, 

 leafless. Leaves slightly crenate ; stipules glandular. Flowers ^ in. diam., 

 white or lilac, scentless ; spur short, obtuse. Lateral petals almost glabrous. 

 Anther-spurs short. — Distrib. Temp, and Arctic Europe, Asia, and 

 America. 



