ORDER XVI. VIOLACEJ::. 233 



petals ; anthers adnate, bilociilar ; filaments extending bevond 

 the anthers, two of them appendaged at the base. Ovary 1- 

 celled, with 3 parietal placentce ; capsule many-seeded, with 

 a loculicidal dehiscence. Seeds anatropous, with a conspicuous 

 chalaza. Herbaceous plants. 



Genus L— VI'OLA. L. 5—1. 

 (The Latin name of the plant.) 



Sepals 5, unequal, auricled at the base. Petals 5, irregular, 

 with a horn at the base of one of them. Stamens 5 ; anthers 

 cohering, the two lower ones with appendages on the back. 

 Capsule 3-valved, 1-celled. Seeds caruncled. Leaves alternate. 

 Floioers nodding. Perennial, herbaceous plants. 



a. Without stems, scape and leaves arising from a rhizoma. Stigma 

 with a recurved beak. 



1, V. peda'ta, (L.) Leaves pedate, 7-parted, segments entire, or in 

 cisely toothed, linear-lanceolate, slightly pubescent or glabrous. Stig- 

 ma thick, margined ; beak short. Petals glabrous. — Blue or nearly 

 white. U- April — May. Common in the middle and upper country o/ 

 Georgia. 4 — 6 inches. 



2, V. palma'ta, (L.) Rhizo'ma. Xfai'^-s thick, cordate, very variable, 

 pubescent, palmate, 5 — 7-lobed, lobes of various forms, toothed, the 

 middle one the largest. Sepals lance-ovate, ciliate. Petals entire, 

 veined, "white at the base, lateral petals bearded, the upper one marked 

 with blue lines. Early plant with almost entire leaves. A variable 

 plant, — Bright blue, sometimes pale. If. May. Common, 4 — 6 

 inches. 



3, V. cuculla'ta, (Ait.) Leaves reniform or cordate, cucullate, ser- 

 rate, generally glabrous. Sepals subulate, acuminate. Petals white at 

 the base, lateral ones bearded, which, with the upper one, are marked 

 with blue lines. Stigvia triangular, margined. 



There have been several varieties found of this species by botanists, 

 but the situation and the time when observed, will account for neai-ly, 

 if not quite, all the variations. In open dry places the plant is pubes- 

 cent ; in spring, the leaves nre almost uniformly cordate, in fall as uni- 

 formly reniform ; the color of spring is blue, of summer, nearly or quite 

 white, — Blue or purplish-blue. If. Common, 4 — 6 inches, 



4, v. SEPTEMLo'nA, (Le Conte.) Leaves ovate-cordate, slightly succu- 

 lent, glabrous, dentate, lower leaves entire, the others pedate, 7-lobed, 

 middle lobe the largest. Sepals lanceolate. Petals entire, upper ones 

 large, villous, lateral ones densely bearded, marked with blue lines. — 

 White. %. March, Low country of Car. and Geo. 



5, V, sagitta'ta, (Ait) Leaves oblong, acute, cordate, sagittate, in- 

 cised at the base, pubescent, slightly ciliate. Inferior petal glabrous, 

 the rest bearded. Spur short, oblu.se. 



Var. ova'ta. Leaves ovate, somewhat cordate ; petiole margined. 



Var, emaegina'ta. Glabrous. Leaves almost triangular, lacorately 

 toothed near the base. — Pale blue. 11. March aud April. Upper 

 dbtricts of Geo. and Car, 6 — 8 inches. 



