54 Mr. Schweinitz on the Genus Viola. 



that in all varieties and at all times there are but few and 

 scattered entire leaves, and the great majorit}' palmately 

 lobed in some shape or other; while the contrary is the 

 case in the next. Besides this never forms dense tufts, and 

 frequently no tufts at all. It is only high in an advanced 

 state — in early spring it is very low. It is in flower here 

 from March to May. After inflorescence, the leaves gen- 

 erally grow to a considerable size. No variety of this spe- 

 cies, that has fallen under my observation, is found in 

 swamps or bogs. With this exception, they occur in great 

 quantities almost every where. 



3. Species. V. asarifoUa. Pursch in Suppl. 



Pursch Suppl. p. 732. Herb. Sherardi. 



Elliott p. 299. n. 7. Mr. E. does not appear to have 

 observed it. 



Muhl. Cat. first ed. p. 26. n. 10 variegata Donn. by Spe- 

 cimens. 



Nuttall among his palmato, as appears from his remark, 

 that it is in certain cases distinguishable from V. cucullata, 

 tanly by the constancy of the pubescence ; which applies to 

 this species exclusively, as all varieties of palmata, at all 

 times, are provided with palmately lobed leaves. Some of 

 Mr. Elliott's observations on palmata seem to indicate, that 

 he had specimens of asarifolia among his. The asarifolia 

 of Muhlenberg's catalogue, is a very different plant of the 

 caulescent family, as Mr. Elliott observes correctly. 



V. acaulis. Foliis primariis caespitosissimis, omnibus 

 cucuUatis, lato-cordatis, interdum reniformibus, magnis; se- 

 cundariis ejusmodi, sed intermixtis raris sagitatis et subpal- 

 raatis, lobatis; omnibus crenato-dentatis. Pagina superio- 

 ri plerumque glabriusculis nervosis, saepe purpureo tinctis. 

 Inferiori pagina, praesertim in junioribus plerumque pilosis, 

 interdum autem tantum in nervis. Petiolis crassis, validis, 

 semiteretibus, demum longissimis (ad 10 unc.) semper pilis 

 longis densis tectis. Stipiilis radicalibus longis, lanceolatis, 

 acuminatis, membranaceis, ad basin petiolorum, saepe trifi- 

 dis, glabris sed ciliatis. Folia quasi flabellatim in petiolos 

 attenuata. 



Floribus mediocribus, frequentioribus, contortis in scapis 

 foliis brevioribus purpureis et saepe demum albo-variegatis. 

 Fetalis magnis plano-reflexis. Inferiori, limbo acuminate, 

 saepe bi vel trifido, naviformi, carinato, fundo albescenti, 



