SOO PENTANDRIA— MONOGYNIA. Viola. 

 111. VIOLA. Violet. 



Linn. Gen. 457. Juss.294. Fl. Br. 244. Sm.in Rees'tCycl.v.37. 

 Tourn. t. 236. Lam. t. 725. GcErtn. M 12. 



Nat. Ord. Campanacece. Linn. 24. Allied to Cisti. Juss. 80. 

 ViolacecJE. Venten. Malmais. 27. Decand. 17. 



[Ventenat declares, after Jussieu, that Viola is the type of a 

 natural oi'der, presumed to exist, but of which no other 

 genus is known. It were better to say it cannot be referred 

 to any known order; for though it possesses here and 

 there a character of several different orders, it is hardly 

 allied, on the whole to any one.] 



Cal. inferior, permanent, of 5 ovate-oblong, erect, equal, 

 acute leaves, inserted above their obtuse base ; 2 of them 

 subtending the uppermost petal ; one each of the lateral 

 petals ; and one the 2 lowermost. Cor. irregular, of 5 un- 

 equal petals ; the uppermost solitary, broadest, most ob- 

 tuse, slightly cloven, directed downward (the position of 

 the flower being reversed), terminating at the base in a 

 horn-shaped blunt nectary, projecting betwixt the calyx- 

 leaves ; 2 lateral petals opposite, equal, obtuse, straight ; 

 2 lowermost (turned upward) equal, larger. Filam. very 

 small, 2 of which, adjoining the odd petal, have 2 com- 

 bined spurs, which enter the nectary. Anth. broad, con- 

 verging, scarcely connected, obtuse, each tenninating in 

 a membranous point. Germ, superior, roundish. Style 

 thread-shaped, projecting beyond the anthers. Stigma 

 oblique, pointed or concave. Caps, ovate, triangular, ob- 

 tuse, of 1 cell and 3 rigid, finally reflexed, valves. Seeds 

 several in each cell, ovate, polished, attached to the linear 

 central receptacle of each valve. 



The stigma of V. odorata, and its allies, is a simjjle hooked 

 point ; in V. tricolor, and others of the Pansy tribe, it is 

 a hollow knob, perforated at the summit, and gaping oc- 

 casionally. The Jlouoer is reversed, or inverted, in all the 

 Europaean species ; in most of the Indian ones erect. 



The species are numerous, almost entirely herbaceous, and 

 of humble stature. Stem trailing, or erect, or wanting. 

 Leaves stalked, simple, mostly alternate; in some instances 

 deeply divided ; in all crenate, or serrated. Stipulas in 

 pairs, various and remarkable. Fl. on simple stalks, va- 

 riously coloured ; very often streaked in a radiant man- 

 ner, like Ferotiica. One species especially is highly fra- 

 grant, and gives its name to a peculiar deep purplish-blue 



