VIOLET FAMILY. 71 



XV. VIOLACE^, VIOLET FAMILY. 



Herbs. Sepals 5, persistent. Petals o, more or less un- 

 equal, the lower one with a sac or spur at the base. (Lessons, 

 Figs. 237, 2:38, 276, 347, 420, 429.) Stamens 5, short; the 

 very broad flat filaments conniving or cohering around the 

 pistil. Style usually club-shaped; stigma 1-sided. Ovary 

 and pod 1-celled, with 3 parietal placentae, containing several 

 rnther large seeds. Herbs, with stipules to the alternate 

 leaves, and 1 -flowered peduncles. 



I. VIOLA. Sepal.s c.iivil at ba.se; stamens di.stinet, the two lower bearing spurs which 

 extend into the spur of the corolla. (Jleistogamoiis blossoms are common and highly 

 fruitful, especially among stemless species. (See Lessons, p. 115.) 



'2. SOLEA. Sepals not eared at base; stamens united into a sheath having a broad gland 

 below inste.ad of spurs. 



1. VIOLA, VK^LET, TIEAKT'S-E.VSE. (The ancient Latin name.) 



* Stemlkss Violets, xcith leaves and peduncles all from creeping or sub- 

 terranean rootstocks, there beiny no proper ascending stems ; all flower- 

 ing in spring. 



•<- Garden species, from Europe; fragrant. 



V. odorata, Linn. Swkict Violet. Tufts spreading by creeping run- 

 ners ; leaves rounded heart-sliaped, more or less downy ; flowers violet- 

 blue, varying to wliite ; single, or in cultivation commonly full double. 

 Hardy. 



H- -t- Wild sj)ecies ; only slightly sweet-scented or scentless. 



■>->■ Flowers blue or violet-color. 



= Itootstock short and thirl:; stigmn nut beaked: lateral petals not 

 bearded. 



V. pedata, Linn. Bird-foot V. Leaves all cut into linear divisions 

 or lobes ; the flower large, beardless, usually light, violet-color, sometimes 

 whitish, sometimes the two upper petals deep dark violet, like a pansy ; 

 sandy or light soil. 



- = Eootstock fleshy and thickened; stigma beaked; .^ipxr shart and sac- 

 like ; lateral petals bearded. 



V. pedatlfida, G. Don. (or V. ni:i'HiNiK6nA). Leaves all palmatelj' 

 divided or iiarted ; segments 2-o-cleft ; lobes linear. Trairies. 111. W. 



V. palmata, Linn. Common Hue V. Rootstocks mailed, scaly- 

 toothed ; leaves erect and heart-shaped or kidney-shaped, obscurely 

 serrate, the later ones, 3-7-cleft or parted, with the sides at the base 

 rolled in when young, on long petioles ; flowers sometimes pale or varie- 

 gated with white. 



The var. cucuU^ta, Gray, has the later -leaves merely crcuale, not 

 lohed. Both furnis very variable and comuKni. 



V. sagittata, Ait. Auhow-leaved V. Leaves varying from oblong- 

 luart-shaped to ovate and often rather halberd-shaped, toothed near base, 

 the earlier ones on short and margined petioles; flower large in propor^ 

 tion ; common. 



