Genus i. 



VIOLET FAMILY. 



12. Viola affinis Le Conte. Le Conte's Violet. 

 Fig. 2934. 



V. affinis Le Conte, Ann. Lye. N. Y. 2 ; 138. 1826. 

 Viola venustula Greene, Pittonia 3: 335. 1898. 



Nearly glabrous ; leaves that unfold at vernal flowering 

 narrowly cordate-ovate, and commonly attenuate toward 

 the apex, becoming about 2' wide in summer, the margins 

 noticeably crenate-serrate ; petioles slender ; corolla violet 

 with the white base conspicuous, spurred petal more or 

 less villous ; cleistogamous flowers small, ovoid, on ascend- 

 ing peduncles that lengthen as the capsules ripen ; these 

 ellipsoid, 2i"-4" long, usually reddish brown, sometimes 

 green, either glabrous or clothed with minute dense pubes- 

 cence; sepals half the length of the capsule, with small 

 appressed auricles; seeds normally buff, not quite i" long. 



Moist meadows, low woods, and shady borders of streams, 

 western New England to Wisconsin, south to Georgia and Ala- 

 bama. April-May. 



13. Viola nephrophylla Greene. Northern Bog Violet. Fig. 2935. 



Viola nephrophylla Greene, Pittonia 3: 144. 1896. 

 Viola vagula Greene, Pittonia 4; 67. 1899. 



Nearly or quite glabrous ; earliest leaves orbicular 

 or slightly reniform, later leaves broadly ovate, cor- 

 date, obtuse or bluntly pointed, crenate-serrate, li'- 

 24' wide ; flowers large, violet, on peduncles exceed- 

 ing the leaves ; spurred petal villous, the lateral 

 densely bearded, and the two upper often with scat- 

 tered hairs ; sepals ovate to lanceolate, obtuse and 

 often rounded ; cleistogamous flowers ovoid, on erect 

 peduncles at length iS'-4' high ; capsules green, gla- 

 brous, short-ellipsoid; seeds olive-brown, nearly i" 

 long. 



Cold mossy bogs and borders of streams and lakes, 

 eastern Quebec to British Columbia, south to northwest- 

 ern Connecticut, Wisconsin, New Mexico and Washing- 

 ton. May-June. 



14. Viola retusa Greene. Western Blue 

 Violet. Fig. 2936. 



Viola retusa Greene, Pittonia 4: 6. 1899. 



Glabrous ; rootstock vertical, often stout and much 

 branching; leaves at petaliferous flowering about 3' 

 high, the blades about i' wide, broadly ovate, cor- 

 date, slightly acuminate with obtuse apex ; aestival 

 leaves 2'-^' wide, reniform, abruptly acuminate, the 

 base cordate to truncate-decurrent, crenate-serrate ; 

 scapes somewhat exceeding the leaves; petals violet, 

 the upper obovate, the lateral spatulate with clavate 

 beard, the spur petal slightly hairy; sepals lanceo- 

 late, white margined; cleistogamous flowers ovoid, 

 on erect peduncles becoming 4'-5' long in fruit ; cap- 

 sules ellipsoid, green, 6" long; seeds brown, i" long. 



Low shady groves, central Kansas, and along streams 

 in the foothills of eastern Colorado. May-June. 



