VIOLACEAE 



VIOLET FAMILY 



DOWNY YELLOW VIOLET 



I'lola puhcsccns Ait. 



We have two common Yellow Violets, both of which 



occur in woods or thickets, and both of which belong to 



the group with leafy stems. In both the petals are yellow 



with large purple 



veins, and the seeds 



are light brown and 



relatively large, being 



nearly one-sixteenth 



of an inch long. 



The Downy Yellow 

 Violet is found in rich 

 dry woods from southern 

 Maine and Ontario to 

 Maryland and Kansas. It often has 

 only I stem, as shown, which bears 

 2-4 leaves near the top. The basal 

 leaf shown may not be produced. 

 Stem and leaves are covered with 

 soft downy hairs. 



The Smooth yellow Violet, Viola 

 scabriuscula Schwein., usually has 2-4 

 stems and 1-3 basal leaves. The stems 

 are shorter and more leafy than in the 

 downy species, the leaves are smaller, 

 and stems and leaves are nearly or 

 entirely without hairs. The yellow 

 flowers are produced usually in May, 

 but later in the summer flowers with- 

 out petals occur. These never open and 

 are self-pollinated. When the fruits 

 are ripe they dry and finally burst open 

 with such suddenness that the seeds 

 are hurled out, often several inches. 



The Arrow-leaved Violet, Viola sagittata Ait., has intensely blue 

 flowers on long peduncles coming from the vertical underground 

 stem. The leaves are oblong and somewhat heart shaped at the 

 base, where they expand into 1-3 spreading lobes that look like 

 barbs and contribute to the common name. 



Of all her traiu, the hands of Spring 



First plant thee in the watery mould, 

 And I have seen thee l)lossoniinj; 



Beside the snowbank's edges cold. 

 The Yellow Violet — William Cullen Bryant 



203 



