NATIVE WILD FLO WEES 



lings of purple at the base of the petals. It is a moisture- 

 loving plant, and affects open, recently overflowed ground, 

 near creeks. It conies so early that we welcome its appear- 

 ance thankfully, for it 



" Tells us that winter, cold winter, is past, 

 And that spring, welcome spring, is returning at last." 



On pulling up a thrifty plant late in the summer, it sur- 

 prises you with a new set of flowers, quite different from 

 the spring blossoms; these are small buds and flowers of 

 a dull chocolate-brown, lying almost covered over in the 

 mould, w r ith seed pods, some ready to shed the ripened 

 seed, others just formed. 



A variety of this mysterious little plant has been dis- 

 tinguished by some botanists as Viola clandestine^, from 

 the curious hidden way in which it produces the. sub- 

 terranean flowers and seeds. 



The commonest among our blue Violets is 



THE HOODED VIOLET Viola cucullata (Ait.), 



so-called from the involute habit of the leaves, which, when? 

 first appearing, are folded inwardly, as if to shield the- 

 tender buds of the flowers from the chilling winds. There 

 are many forms or varieties of this species, varying very 

 much in appearance, the difference being probably due to* 

 the habitat in which they occur. One of the handsomest is- 

 the large blue Wood Violet, which flowers about the middle- 

 of June, has blue scentless flowers with round petals, and 

 large blunt hirsute leaves, and is found in low woods.* 

 Another variety, with deep violet flowers, has elongated 

 petals and pointed, rather smooth leaves of a purplish tint, 



* Viola Dicksoni, Greene. 



