Viola. VIOLACE^. 71 



5. Viola sagittata, Ait. Arrow-leaved Violet. 

 Plant somewhat pubescent ; leaves oblong, rather acute-crenate, cordate-sagittate and incised 



at the base ; stigma depressed, margined ; inferior petal smooth, the rest bearded. — Ait. 

 Kew. 3. p. 287; Pursh, fl. 1. p. 172 ; Nutt. gen. 1. p. 147 ; Schwein. I. c. ; Torr. fl. 1. 

 p. 250 ; Ell. sk. 1 . p. 299 ; Bigel. fl. Bost. p. 96 ; DC. prodr. 1 . p. 294 ; Le Conte, I. c. ; 

 Darlingt.fl. Cest. p. 143 ; Torr. ^ Gr.fl. N. Am. I. p. 138. 



var. ovata : villous ; leaves ovate, somewhat cordate, crenate, often lacerately toothed at 

 the base; petiole margined. — Torr. (^ Gr. I. c. V. ovata, Nutt. I. c. ; Schwein. I. c. ; DC. 

 prodr. I. c. ; Hook. fl. Bor.-Am. \. p. 76. V. primulifolia, Pursh, I. c. (not of Linn.). V. 

 AUeghaniensis, Roem. <^ Schult. syst. 5. p. 560 ; DC. I. c. 



Rhizoma short and thick. Leaves usually forming a tuft, often somewhat hastate at the 

 base, 2-5 inches long (including the petiole, which is about the length of the lamina). 

 Peduncles usually several, a little longer than the leaves ; stipules subulate. Flowers middle- 

 sized. Sepals linear-lanceolate, smoothish. Petals bright or pale purplish blue. Spur short, 

 very obtuse and saccate. Capsule smooth, 20 - 30-seeded. 



In fields and on dry hill-sides ; frequent. Latter part of April to the middle of May. A 

 variable species, but easily distinguished from all the other stemless violets by the form of the 

 leaves. I have not observed the variety emarginata within the limits of the State. The 

 whole plant is mucilaginous, and is employed in domestic practice as a demulcent 



6. Viola rotundifolia, Michx. Round-leaved Violet. 



Leaves orbicular-ovate, cordate, slightly crenate-toothed, nearly smooth, the sinus usually 

 closed; petiole pubescent ; (flowers yellow;) stigma recurved at the apex, margined ; lateral 

 petals bearded; sepals obtuse; spur almost none. — Michx. fl. 2. p. 150; Nutt. gen. 1. 

 p. 149 ; Schwein. I. c. ; Bigel. fl. Bost. p. 97 ; Torr. fl.l. p. 252 ; DC. prodr. 1. p. 295 

 (excl. syn. Pursh) ; Le Conte, I. c. ; Hook.fl. Bor. Am. I. p. 97; Torr. ^ Gr.fl. N. Am. 1. 

 p. 138. 



Rhizoma short and thick. Leaves spreading and appressed to the ground, at the flowering 

 time about an inch long, but very much larger late in the season, flat, sprinkled with short 

 hairs on the upper surface ; the petiole about as long as the lamina. Scapes 1 - 2i inches 

 long, smooth. Flowers small, pale yellow. Sepals lanceolate-oblong, usually rounded at the 

 extremity, smooth. Petals obovate, sometimes emarginate ; the lateral ones strongly with 

 dark brown lines. Capsule ovate, smooth, speckled with brown. Seeds about 20. 



Shady rocky woods ; rare below the Highlands ; common in the northern parts of the 

 State. Fl. Middle of April to May. — Remarkable among the stemless violets for its yellow 

 flowers, and also for the large leaves which it bears in the latter part of the summer. 



