FLOWERS OF GARDEN AND GREENHOUSE 
the now favourite Bedding Violas. Whether the magnificent Garden 
Pansies have been produced solely by selection from V. tricolor, or 
whether that species has been crossed with V. altaica and V. rotho- 
magensis, are open questions. V. tricolor had long been grown in 
gardens, but nothing appears to have been done in the way of improving 
it until early in the present century, when Lady M. Tennet and her 
gardener, Mr. Richardson, effected considerable improvement by selection. 
To-day the varieties are simply innumerable, and they are exceedingly 
popular, and deservedly so. 
Species Viola altaica (native of the Altaian mountains) has 
a slender creeping root, and oval leaves with wedge-shaped, 
toothed stipules. The flowers are large, yellow, with a spur, and appear 
from March to June. The plant was introduced from Siberia in 1805. 
V. blanda (alluring) is a North American species (1802), with 
creeping rootstock and kidney-shaped leaves, covered with delicate 
down. The flowers are small, white, faintly scented, short spurred; the 
lateral petals veined with lilac. Flowers in early spring. 
V. calcarata (spurred) has short, unbranched, tufted stems, and 
roundish spoon-shaped leaves with rounded teeth; stipules cut into 
three, or in a palmate manner. Flowers large, purple-violet, spur 
slender, as long as the petals; the sepals oblong with glandular teeth. 
March to July. Introduced from Austria nearly one hundred and fifty 
years ago. There are several varieties: albiflora , with large white 
flowers; Halleri , similar to albiflora , but with blue flowers; Zoysii, 
with smaller yellow flowers. 
V. cornuta (horned) is a tufted plant with diffuse, ascending stems, 
and heart-shaped leaves whose edges have rounded teeth and are finely 
fringed. The stipules are irregularly heart-shaped, toothed and fringed. 
Flowers lilac-blue, with long slender spur, and awl-shaped sepals. May 
to July. The var. alba has white flowers. Many forms of this species 
are in cultivation as bedding plants, and valued on account of the 
profusion of their blooms, which, though pale, are of a deeper tint than 
those of V. calcarata. Both these species resemble the Pansy in the 
flatness of their flowers. 
V. cucullata (hooded), with heart-shaped leaves on long stalks, 
erect, with blunt teeth. Flowers varying from pale violet-blue (nearly 
white) to deep purple, with short, thick spur; on long scapes. Early 
spring. There is a var. palmata, with some of the leaves cut up into 
from three to seven parts. 
V. odorata (perfumed). Sweet Violet. Rootstock short, covered 
with the scars of last year’s leaves, and sending off runners. Leaves 
