314 VIOLA. [CLASS V. ORDER I. 



abundant. Sdgma five, sessile, united togetber into a cone-sbape. 

 Frtiit a long pointed capsule, of five cells, with tbin membranous 

 divisions around tbe central placenta, baving live valves, separating 

 from tbe base to tbe apex, curling tbemselves suddenly when ripe by 

 tbe least agitation, and tbrowing tbe seeds for some distance, ^eeds 

 numerous, ovate, suspended in tbe capsule, witbout albumen, baving a 

 straight embryo, witb a superior radicle. 



Habitat. — Moist shady woods ; rare. Fountain's Abbey, and other 

 places in Yorkshire; Westmoreland; Guildford, Surrey. — Rev. J. 

 Jenyns. Abundant in a wet glen at Castlemilk, near Glasgow. — 

 Mr. Hophirk. 



Annual; flowering in July and August. 



Tbe wbole plant possesses a degi-ee of acridity, from which circum- 

 stance it is by no means a food palatable to most cattle. Tbe structure 

 of its flowers, and particularly its capsules, are worthy of minute 

 examination ; for when they are quite ripe, tbe least motion of the 

 plant, more especially when the sun is upon them, causes tbe elastic 

 power which they possess to separate the valves at the base, and 

 suddenly rolling or rather curling up throw tbe seeds some distance 

 from them, a circumstance which is thus noticed by Darwin in bis 

 Botanical Garden, and this is the reason that it bears the common 

 name of Touch-me-not, by which it ia known. 



" With fierce distracted eye Impatiens stands, 

 Swells her pale cheeks and brandishes her hands ; 

 With rage and hate the astonished groves alarms, 

 And hurls her infants from her frantic arms." 



GENUS XXXVIII. VIO'LA.— Linn. Violet . 

 Nat. Ord. Viola'ce^. De Cand. 



Gen. Char. Calyx of five sepals, unequal and apendiculated at tbe 

 base. Petals unequal, tbe lower one spurred at tbe base. Stamens 

 witb dilated ^/amen/5. The anthers united around tbe pistil, the 

 two lower ones with processes at tbe base. Capsule of one cell, 

 opening witb three elastic valves. — The derivation of this name 

 is variously stated ; the most probable one appears to be from 

 lov, as it is said to have been first noticed at Ionia. 

 * Stemless, or nearly so. 

 1. V.hir'ta, Linn. (Fig. 384.) hairy Violet. Leaves heart-shaped, 



downy above, beneath and tbe petioles hairy. Calyx sepals obtuse, 



lateral petals with a hairy central line. Capsule hairy, upon a prostrate 



peduncle without runneis. 



