58 VIOLET FAMILY. 



5 petals, and 5 stamens ; the claws of the petals sometimes slightly united . 



ovary one-celled with three parietal placentae, a single style and stigma. 



Fruit a globular woody pod, many-seeded. 



P. Tobira, COMMON P. A low tree, cultivated as a house-plant (from 

 Japan), with obovate and refuse evergreen leaves crowded at the end oi 

 the branches, which are terminated by a small sessile umbel of white fragrant 

 Bowers, produced in winter. 



14. VIOLACEJE, VIOLET FAMILY. 



Commonly known only by the principal genus of the order, viz. 



I, VIOLA, VIOLET. (Ancient Latin name.) Sepals 5, persistent. Pet- 

 als 5, more or less unequal, the lower one with a sac or spur at the base. 

 (Lessons, p. 91, fig. 181, 182.) Stamens 5, short: the very broad flat fila- 

 ments conniving and slightly cohering around the pistil, which they cover, 

 all but the end of the style and the (usually one-sided) stigma, bearing the 

 anthers on their inner face, two of these spurred at the base. Ovary and pod 

 1 -celled, with 3 parietal placentas, containing several rather large seeds. 

 Herbs, with stipules to the alternate leaves, and 1 -flowered peduncles. 

 * STEMLESS VIOLETS, with leaves and peduncles alt from creeping or sub- 

 terranean rootstocks, there being no proper ascending stems : all flowering in 

 spring, a/so producing inconspicuous flowers and most of the fruitful pods, 

 all summer, concealed among the leaves. 



-t- Garden species, from Europe : fragrant. 



V. Odorata, SWEET VIOLET. Cult, from Eu., the tufts spreading by 

 creeping runners : leaves rounded heart-shaped, more or less downy ; flowers 

 purple-blue (violet-color) varying to bluish and white, single or in cultivation 

 commonly full double. Hardy ; while the ITALIAN VIOLET, the variety used 

 for winter-blooming, with leaves smoother and brighter green and flowers paler 

 or grayish-blue, is tender northward. 



- -i- Wild species : slightly sweet-scented or scentless. 



*+ Flowers blue or violet-color. 



V. Selkirkii, SELKIRK'S V. Small, only 2' high, the rounded heart- 

 shaped leaves spreading flat on the ground ; the flower large in proportion, its 

 thick spur nearly as long as the beardless petals : on shady banks, only N. 



V. sagittata, ARROW-LEAVED V. One of the commonest and earliest ; 

 leaves varying from oblong-heart-shaped to ovate and often rather halberd- 

 shaped, the earlier ones on short and margined petioles ; flower large in propor- 

 tion ; spur short and sac-shaped, as in all the following. 



V. cucullata, COMMON BLUE V. The tallest and commonest of the 

 blue violets, in all low grounds, with matted fleshy and scaly-toothed rootstocks, 

 erect and heart-shaped or kidney-shaped obscurely serrate leaves, with the sides 

 at the base rolled in when young, on long petioles ; flowers sometimes pale oi 

 variegated with white. 



V. palmata, HAND-LEAP V., is a variety of the last, with the leaves, or 

 nil the later ones, 3 - 7-cleft or parted ; common southward. 



V. pedata, BIRD-FOOT V. Grows in sandy or light soil, from a short and 

 thick or tuber-like rootstock , fne leaves all cut into linear divisions or lobes ; 

 the flower large, beardless, usually light violet-color : sometimes the two upper 

 petals deep dark violet, like a pansy. 



V. delphimf61ia, LARKSPUR-LEAVED V., takes the place of the preced- 

 ing in prairies, &c. W. and is like it, but has the lateral petals bearded. 



*+ Flowers (small) white, the lower petal purplish-veined. 

 V. blanda, SWEET WHITE V. Very common, with faintly sweet-scented 

 flowers, all the petals beardless; leaves rounded heart-shaped or kidney-shaped. 

 V. primulsef61ia, PRIMROSE-LEAVED V. Common S., between the last 

 and next, has oblong or ovate leaves. 



V. lanceolata, LANCE-LEAVED V. Commonest S., has lanceolate leaves 

 tapering into long petioles, and beardless petals. 



