VIOLET FAMILY 



161 



67. VIOLACEJE. VIOLET FAMILY 



Herbs, with simple, alternate leaves, with stipules. Calyx 

 of 5 persistent sepals. Corolla of 5 petals, somewhat zygo- 

 morphic ; one petal with a spur. Stamens 5, short, the fila- 

 ments often united around the pistil (Fig. 24). Style generally 

 club-shaped, with a one-sided stigma, with an opening leading 

 to its interior. Pod 1-celled, splitting into 3 valves, each bear- 

 ing a placenta. The seeds are often dispersed by the splitting 

 of the elastic valves (Fig. 24). 



A B C 



FIG. 24. Viola tricolor 



A, stamens and pistil; B, pistil with stamens removed; C, stamen; D, pod 

 split open, a, anther; c, connective; na, nectarial appendage of stamen; 

 o, orifice in stigma; ov, ovary; s, stigma. (A, B, and C considerably 

 magnified) 



VIOLA L. 



Sepals ear-like at the base. Some of the petals often 

 bearded within, thus affording a foothold for bees, the lowest 

 one with a spur at the base. Stamens not very much united, 

 the two lowermost with spurs which reach down into the spur 

 of the lowest petal. Many species bear inconspicuous apeta- 

 lous flowers later than the showy ordinary ones, and produce 

 most of their seed from these closed, self-fertilized flowers. 



1. Apparently stemless perennials 



1. V. pedata L. BIRD-FOOT VIOLET, HORSESHOE VIOLET, SAND 

 VIOLET. Rootstock stout, upright, not scaly. Leaves roundish, 

 all palmately 5-9-parted into linear or linear-lanceolate divisions. 

 Flowers showy, about 1 in. broad, pale violet to whitish ; petals not 

 bearded. Dry fields and hillsides. 



