WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE 
twice as long as wide and nearly lance-shaped are 
found. The golden-centred flowers vary widely in 
size and colour, graduating in the latter from light 
purple to pale violet, and even striped varieties fre- 
quently occur. While they are found commonly in 
open, sunny places, Violets as a family are to be seen 
at their best where there is shade and moisture, and in 
the vicinity of cool streams and springs they are most 
beautifully developed. The lower petal is spurred, and; 
together with the two lateral or side ones, which are 
prettily bearded, have a flash of white at their base 
and are marked with dark purple lines. The stamens 
are tipped with orange. The rootstock is short and 
thick, and the foliage which closely surrounds the flowers 
is full bright green in colour. This Violet does not 
produce runners, but flowerless buds succeed the true 
flowers and mature without opening. The large, 
heart-shaped leaf is prominently ribbed, and has a 
toothed or scalloped edge. The surface is covered with 
very fine hairs, and before they are fully matured, the 
lobes of the leaves are curled upward. The flower 
stem is slender and smooth, and the leaf stem is grooved 
on one side, and both rise direct from the root. 
EARLY BLUE VIOLET 
Viola palmata. Violet Family. 
Although not so abundant as the widely distributed 
Meadow Violet, with which everybody is so familiar, 
the Early Blue Violet is very common. Its flowers are 
smaller, and the plant is more or less hairy, and alto- 
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