* Mr. Schiveinitz on the Genus Viola. 59 



Scapis tetragonis, saepe sursum tortiusculis, pilosis, de- 

 mum elongalis. Stijpulis linearibus oppositis. 



Capsidis glabris. Radice perpendiculari crassa. Caes- 

 pitibus foliosis compactis, habitu stricto, crescit, plerumque 

 undique canopubescentibus. 



It is surprising that Mr. Pursch should have combined 

 this extremely distinct species, having a very predominant 

 habit of pubescence and large bright blue flowers, with the 

 Linnean primulaefolia, whose habit and manner of inflo- 

 rescence is so widely different. Mr. Nuttall excellently 

 points out the distinction. The present species invariably 

 grows on dry sunny hills — preferring a gravelly soil and 

 flowers early in April ; the other, rather later, always ad- 

 heres to moist swampy places, and is much more nearly al- 

 lied to lanceolata and blanda than to this. Nuttall says the 

 scape of ovata is shorter than the leaves. I have found it 

 so, in a few instances in very dense tufts ; in general how^ 

 ever the scapes are much longer than the leaves whose pe- 

 tioles are at first unusually short. I have met with gla- 

 brous specimens in peculiar situations ; otherwise the pu- 

 bescence is pretty constant, and especially striking on the 

 margins of the leaves ; which caused Muhlenberg to call 

 this species ciliata. It is common with us. 



7. Species. V. cucuUata. Alton. 



The difference between this and obliqua of Alton, I am 

 satisfied, is a specific one, and the diagnostic characters 

 constant. Besides the general habit, these are however 

 only to be ascertained by minute examination. Hence, I 

 presume, specimens of the one have been often mistaken 

 for the other, which appears to have induced Mr. Nuttall 

 to reject the obliqua altogether, the name of which, is cer- 

 tainly very inadequate. I have done my best to make out 

 the synonymy to each, without being perfectly certain in ev- 

 ery instance. 



Willdenow p. 1162. n. 7. appears decidedly to belong to 

 cucullata, 



Persoon Synops p. 254. n. 8. likewise. 



Pursch, Fl. p. 173. n. 10 — is slightly characterised a? 

 cucullata ; but probably is intended exclusively as such. 



Elliott p. 298. n. 6 — refers probably to both. Some 

 part of his description belongs to cucullata beyond a doubt — 

 the want of beard on the lower petal however points to ob- 

 liqua ; thither I refer the cordata of Walter. 



