14 Beautiful Plants groicing wild 



Art. IV. Beautiful Plants growing wild in the Vicinity of Boston. 

 By E. B. Kenrick, Watertown. 



(Continued from Vol. I, page 458.) 

 All these plants are perennial, unless intimation is given to the contrary. 



Viola acuta Acute petaled Violet. This is our small- 

 est native species. It is peculiarly distinguished by its 

 acute petals, and the great length of its linear bractes. 

 Stemless. Root creeping. Leaves smooth, ovate-lance- 

 formed, with stems nearly winged. Flowers white. Petals 

 oval, remarkably flat and acute, the odd one being widened 

 at top, and streaked with purple at base. — Moderately moist 

 soil. — CambHdge. — May, June. 



Viola palmdta Palmate Violet. Stemless. Root denticu- 

 late, as if small teeth were strung together. Leaves pu- 

 bescent, veiny, heart-shaped, hand-formed [with spreading 

 fingers], or halbert-lobed, the lobes being indented, and the 

 middle one much the largest. Flowers middle sized, fine 

 purple, the two lateral petals having glandular beards. — Low 

 grounds. — May. 



Viola peddta Pedate Violet. Stemless. Root abrupt, as 

 if bitten off". The leaf is shaped like a bird's foot, having a 

 central sedgment or leaf which is simple, and two lateral 

 ones, which are compound. Flowers large. Petals pale pur- 

 ple, white or yellowish at the base, none of them either 

 bearded or streaked. — Rocky hills, and dry woods. — May, 

 June. 



Viola sagittdta Arrow-leaved Violet. Stemless. Leaves 

 smooth, oblong, or ovate, heart-arrow-shaped, gashed at the 

 base, bluntly serrate or saw-toothed, the lower teeth large, 

 divergent, and giving the leaf a halberd appearance. Flow- 

 ers inverted, middle sized, with dark purple petals, white at 

 base, strongly bearded. — Cambridge. — May, June. 



Viola ovdta Spade-leaved Violet. Stemless. Leaves 

 hairy, or woolly, on both sides, crenate or scolloped on the 

 edges, ovate, or shaped like the spade on a card, and some- 

 times cut at the base like the arrow-leaved violet; leaf stems 

 margined or winged. Flowers middle sized, pale purple, 

 very numerous. — Dry hills. — April, May. 



Viola cuculldta Hood-leaved Violet. Stemless. Leaves 

 strongly heart-shaped, somewhat kidney-formed, indented 

 on the margin, rolled in at the base, so as to give them a 

 hood-like appearance. The leaves are commonly much 

 shorter than their stems. Flowers large, purple, the lateral 

 petals stiffly bearded. This is the most common violet of 

 our wet meadows and low grounds. — May. 



