Popular Studies of California Wild Flowers 57 



and a host of others, from the times of Homer and Virgil to the 

 present day, have sung their praises of these blooms. Of the violets 

 to be found in California, the one known as "Mountain Heart's 

 Ease" has been celebrated in a poem by Bret Harte. 



There are many varieties of violets, native to California, and 

 they may be found blooming almost all over the State in spring and 

 summer, but are rapidly disappearing, in some localities, which is 

 a fact that we regret, and we might say with John Fletcher in the 

 "Queen of Corinth" : 



"Violets plucked, the sweetest rain 

 Makes not fresh nor grow again!' 



Some of our California violets are especially lovely and many 

 of them are rare. There are seventeen or more species, blooming- 

 through a wide range of colors. The beautiful "Dog Tooth Violet" 

 (Erythronium) is not a member of the genus, but belongs to the 

 Lily Family. There is a Dog Violet, Viola canina, growing in the 

 Coast Range and in the Sierras, which is a violet color turning to 

 a reddish purple. Many of the rest, like "Johnny-Jump-Up," have 

 yellow as the prevailing color. A few are conspicuous with white, 

 purple or violet markings. 



While yellow is the predominating shade for California violets, 

 it is not surprising, for this is the land whose golden wealth is sup- 

 posed to have nurtured the Golden Poppy; and so, too, it seems 

 that little "Johimy-Jump-Up" and his companions have made free 

 with these riches for their fine colors. 



"Johnny- Jump-Up" (Viola pedunculata) is a fairy-winged, 

 brownish-yellow flower, which is found throughout the Coast Range 

 and its valleys. No flower is more loved by the children. Some 

 people may think it more proper to call this little blossom a pansy ; 

 but the word "pansy," which is from the French word "pensee," 

 only makes a distinction, in a popular sense, of these larger flow- 

 ered and less fragrant violets. So it is not surprising that these 

 large, golden violets, with the upper petal, which has the dark 

 brown color on the back, and the lower petals, with hairy lines of 

 a purplish color at the base, inside, are often called the Yellow 

 Pansy. The stems of this flower are from three to six inches tall ; 

 the blossom bends over at the spur, and the doubled petal gives one 

 the impression that a host of little fairies robed in purest gold, with 

 soft brown wings, have assembled on the grass tips of some sylvan 

 glade to hear the message of a buzzing bumble-bee or to dance in 

 the clear sunshine with the gentle winds. They are seen but to be 

 loved, and though they be called Violets, Pansies, Johnny- Jump-Up, 

 or by the Spanish children's name of "Gallitos" (which mean? 

 "Little Roosters"), we may unite with the sentiments of James 

 Whitcomb Riley, who sang: 

 "Pansies! Pansies! How I love you, Pansies! 

 Jaunty faced, laughing lipped and deivey eyed with glee; 

 Would my song might blossom out in little five-leafed stanzas 

 As delicate in fancies 

 As your beauty is to me." 



