09 



his Hortus Berolcnsis, I : pi. 72. 1806, and excepting the flow- 

 ers, which are poorly figured, both the description and figure 

 represent a violet perfectly distinct and not to be confused with 

 any entire-leaved palmata. The entire-leaved variety of V. pal- 

 mata is distinguished from the next by its more erect and stiffer 

 habit, leaves ovate to hastate-reniform with nearly truncate bases, 

 and rather short deflexed cleistogenes. 



Viola sororia Willd. Hort. Berol. 1 : pi. 72. 1806. Not 



Enum. 263. 1809. Not Pursh nor LeConte. 



V. villosa var. cordifolia Nutt. Gen. I : 148. 1818. 



V. cordifolia Schweinitz, Sill. Journ. 5 : 62. 1822. 



V. nodosa Greene, Pittonia, 4: 296. 1901. In part. 



A very common violet in central New York, preferring rather 

 dry but rich soil in woods or upland meadows, common along 

 shady roadsides. It bears no resemblance to any entire-leaved 

 forms of palmata. Willdenow does not state that his type was 

 from Pennsylvania ; but if it was, which is very probable, it must 

 have come from Muhlenberg, his correspondent there. At any 

 rate, the species seems to have been familiar to the early botanists 

 of Pennsylvania. Darlington describes it in his Flora Cestrica, 

 144. 1837, and adds the observation, " Leaves 1-2 inches long, 

 mostly orbicular and subreniform, sometimes cordate and rather 

 acute, sprinkled with rigid hairs, especially on the upper surface," 

 etc. In the herbarium of the New York Botanical Garden is a 

 specimen labeled by Darlington " V. sororia," which agrees with 

 specimens of my gathering in central New York. In the same 

 place are specimens labeled as follows : 



" V. sororia Willd. (V. villosaWa.lt. /9 cordifolia Nutt.) Unio 

 itiner, in civitate Ohio, 1837, Frank." 



These specimens also agree with the central New York plant, 

 and Dr. Britton tells me that with Mr. Bicknell, he has often col- 

 lected this violet in Pennsylvania and is inclined to believe that it 

 is Willdenow's sororia. It is evident, then, that the name sororia 

 is to be connected with a plant of smaller size than V. palmata with 

 more lax appearance of foliage, more softly pubescent leaves of 

 softer and thinner texture. The leaves are never hastate reni- 

 form in shape, but have almost always a deep sinus or are at 



