92 SUB-ALPINE PLANTS 



Pastures in the Alpine and sub-alpine regions ; local. June to 

 August. 



Distribution. Pyrenees, Spain, Haute Savoie (Grammont), 

 Apennines. 



Viola palustris L. Marsh Violet. 



The rootstock often sends out runners, as in V. odorata. A small 

 perfectly glabrous plant, or with rarely a few hairs on the peduncles. 

 Leaves reniform or orbicular, cordate at the base, very slightly 

 crenate. Flowers small, pale blue or bluish lilac with purple streaks, 

 scentless. Sepals obtuse. Spur very short. Stigma broad. 



Marshy ground and bogs in woods and on mountains, extending 

 well above the sub-alpine region. May to June. 



Distribution. All Europe except the Mediterranean region, 

 Northern Asia, N. America. British. In Norway it ascends above 

 the birch limit. 



Viola mirabilis L. 



A tall species, sometimes a foot in height, with robust stems 

 having a line of hairs throughout, and broadly ovate leaves, heart- 

 shaped at the base. Stipules ovate-lanceolate, 'entire, or ciliated. 

 Lower leaves longly petioled, the 2 upper leaves subsessile. Flowers 

 large, pale lilac. Sepals ovate-lanceolate. Capsule glabrous. 



Mountain woods. April to June. 



Distribution. South - Eastern France, Cevennes, Switzerland 

 (widely spread), Central and Southern Europe. Occasional in 

 Norway to above the fir limit. 



Viola montana L. (Plate VII.) 



Leaves oblong-ovate, heart-shaped at base. Stipules 10-20 mm. 

 long. Flowers large, blue to whitish. Petals oblong. Stems erect, few. 



Meadows, marshes, and borders of woods from the plains to the 

 lower Alps. May, June. 



Distribution. Switzerland, Savoy. 



Viola alpestris Jordan (Plate VII) =Viola tricolor L. sub-sp. 

 alpestris (DC.) Wittr. 



A large-flowered, erect, and bushy variety of the common 

 V. tricolor. Calyx half the length of corolla. Upper petals obovate, 

 usually yellow. Spur very long. " Approaches V. variata very 

 closely and has often been confused with it " (Dr. E. Drabble). 



Meadows, rocky places, etc., in the sub-alpine region. May, June. 



Distribution. Switzerland, Savoy, Norway. British. 



Figures of V. alpestris Jordan appear in an article by Dr. Eric 

 Drabble on "The British Pansies" in Journal of Royal Hort. Soc., 1 

 xxxv. (1909), Pt. II. 



1 "The flowers are yellow, and thus differ from the typical form of V. variata; 

 but the latter may also possess yellow flowers, and it is such plants that have been 

 confused with V. alpestris." E. Drabble, loc. cit. 



