Ord. VIOLACEiE. 



Herbee (v. in tropicis frutices), foliis stipulatis vernatione 

 involutis : dicotyledoneae, hypogynas, symmetrica? ; sepalis 

 cum petalis et staminibus pi. m. irregularibus 5 ; sestivatione 

 imbricativa ; filamentis brevissimis membranaceo-dilatatis 

 (antheris introrsum adnatis) circa ovarium uniloculare multi- 

 ovtdatum conniventibus ; placentis 3 parietalibus ; stylo uni- 

 co ; ovulis anatropis ; capsula loculicide trivalvi ; embryone 

 recto axili albumine carnoso vix breviori, cotyledonibus planis. 



Violaries:, DC. FI. Fr. 4. p. 801, & Prodr. 1. p. 287. Endl. Gen. p. 908. 

 VioLACEi, Juss. in Ann. Mus 18. p. 47G. Lindl. Introd. ed. 2. p. 146. 



The Violet Family is represented in temperate regions, especially in 

 the northern hemisphere, by the genus Viola alone, or in the New World 

 by one or two other herbaceous plants, with similar irregular flowers. But 

 within the tropics there are several genera of shrubs, or even trees, widely 

 different in aspect from Violets, some of which have perfectly regular flow- 

 ers. In all, the flower is symmetrical and pentamerous throughout, except 

 as to the pistil, which is only tricarpellary, as is shown by the three parie- 

 tal placentae and the 3-valved capsule. The consolidated style, the stipules, 

 the vernation of the leaves (which are involute or rolled up from their edges 

 inward, instead of from the apex downward), the anthers introrsely adnate 

 to the inner face of dilated membranous filaments, and the large embryo, as 

 well as the prevalent irregularity of the flowers, distinguish the Violet Fam- 

 ily from Droseraceae, the order which it most resembles in character. 



The spurred or saccate and larger petal is said to be the upper one, and 

 to become the lower by the resupination of the flower ; but we do not find 

 this to be the case in the Violet. In the Pansy, for instance, it is easy in 

 see that the odd petal is anterior, even while the flower-bud is still sessile or 

 nearly so. The aestivation of the corolla is not convolute, as generally de- 

 scribed, hut truly irnbricative. 



An active and emetic or purgative principle pervades the Violet Family, 

 and is chiefly contained in the roots. This principle, called violine, nearly 

 resembles emetine in its properties ; and the roots of several species of Ioni- 

 dium are used in place of those of the true Ipecacuanha. Many South 



