DICOTYLEDONOUS PLANTS. 33 



VIOLA, VIOLET. 



Sepals ear-like at the base. Petals somewhat irregular, 

 some of them bearded within, thus affording a foothold for 

 bees, the lowest one with a ^pur at the base (Fig. 147). Star 

 mens not cohering very much, the two lowermost with spurs 

 which reach down into the spur of the lowest petal. Many- 

 species bear inconspicuous apetalous flowers later than the 

 showy ordinary ones and produce most of their seed from 

 these closed, self-fertilized flowers. (See Miss Newell's 

 Botany Reader, Part II, Chapter V.) 



* Stemless perennials. 



a. (V. pedata), Bird-foot Violet, Hokse-shoe V., Sand V. 

 Leaves all palmately 5-9-parted into linear or linear-lanceolate 

 divisions. Flowers showy, about 1 in. broad, pale violet to whitish ; 

 petals not bearded. Eootstock stout, upright, not scaly. 



6. (V. palmata), Common Blue Violet. Earlier leaves round- 

 ish heart-shaped or kidney-form and crenate, with the sides rolled in 

 at the base when young. The later ones variously cleft or parted. 

 Flowers dark or light blue, sometimes whitish; the lateral petals 

 bearded. Rootstock stout and scaly. 



(Variety cucullata), Common Blue Violet, Hood-leaf Y. 

 Later leaves remaining nearly crenate, like the earlier ones, in rich 

 soil becoming very luxuriant. 



u. (V. sagittata), Aeeow-leaved Violet, Spade-leae V. 

 Leaves very variable, ranging in shape from oblong-heart-shaped 

 to triangular-halberd-shaped, very often with an arrow-shaped base, 

 the earlier ones on short, margined petioles, the later frequently 

 long-petioled. Flowers rather large, otherwise much as in the 

 preceding species. 



d. (V. blanda). Sweet White Violet. Leaves roundish 

 heart-shaped or kidney-shaped. Flowers rather small, whitish, sweet- 

 scented, generally beardless, with the lowermost petal exquisitely 

 veined with dark purple lines. Rootstock long, slender, and creeping. 

 In damp or marshy ground. 



** Leafy-stemmed perennials. 



e. (V. PUBESCENS), Downy Yellow Violet. Soft, downy, 6-12 

 in. high ; leaves broadly heart-shaped, toothed, with large stipules. 

 Flowers yellow, with a short spur. 



