Mr. Schweinitz on the Genus Viola, Si 



pedate leaf, especially the early leaves. I am perfectly sat- 

 isfied, that the V. digitata of Pursch, found by Mr. Leconte 

 in Virginia, must be considered identical whhpedata, having 

 seen innumerable individuals of the latter assume a form as the 

 season advances, altogether answering the description of di- 

 gitata; some indeed, with the first leaves still remaining up- 

 on the plant. Later in summer and autumn, I have occa- 

 sionally met with specimens forming very large tufts, with 

 leaves extremely rugose and veiny, on petioTes five or six 

 inches high, expanding hito the leaf, and uncommonly large 

 pale blue flowers. The pedata begins to flower, with us, 

 end of March, and is very common in dry woods through- 

 out April I never found it in moist places, and Mr. Elliot 

 observes that it rarely occurs within sixty miles of the sea- 

 coast. Northwardly it appears in May. The beautiful va- 

 riety, mentioned by Pursch, having the two upper petals of 

 a dark purple and velvet appearance, is common here and 

 elsewhere, ^. velutina. It is more slender in all its parts, and 

 forms but small tufts, often with a single flower and a much 

 longer scape. 



2. Spec. V. pcdmata. Linn. 



Remarks. — This species, and the next, appear to have been 

 confounded by most Botanists. In fact it is not easy to fix 

 upon proper diagnostic characters between them, without 

 an attentive study, in their different stages of growth. They 

 and others, of this family, put forth leaves of very different 

 shapes, not only at the same time, but successively, so that 

 the same individual plant might readily be mistaken for a 

 different species, when more advanced ; especially as they 

 continue to flower, during the whole course of these meta- 

 morphoses, ending with apetalous flowers. By close obser- 

 vation of the same individuals, continued to the last stage, 1 

 conceive myself able to point out such constant characteris- 

 tics, as may serve to distinguish each species at all times. 



I have to observe generally, with regard to the disposi- 

 tion of the leaves, in all the heterophyllous species of Vio- 

 lae acaules, that the more entire leaves, whether cordate, 

 reniform or lanceolate, are always the outward ones of the 

 tuft, the lobed ones, the interior. The entire ones, are 

 moreover on much shorter petioles. The lobed leaves too, 

 except in palmata, where they appear immediately, are 

 generally of later growth and augment in number and vaii- 



