VIOLET FAMILY. 71 



XV. VIOLACEfi, VIOLET FAMILY. 



Herbs. Sepals 5, persistent. Petals 5, more or less un- 

 equal, the lower one with a sac or spur at the base. (Lessons, 

 Figs. 237, 238, 276, 347, 420, 429.) Stamens 5, short; the 

 very broad flat filaments conniving or cohering around the 

 pistil. Style usually club-shaped; stigma 1-sided. Ovary 

 and pod 1-celled, with 3 parietal placentae, containing several 

 rather large seeds. Herbs, with stipules to the alternate 

 leaves, and 1-flowered peduncles. 



1. VIOLA. Sepals eared at base ; stamens distinct, the two lower bearing spurs which 



extend into the spur of the corolla. Oleistogamous blossoms are common and highly 

 fruitful, especially among stemless species. (See Lessons, p. 115.) 



2. SOLEA. Sepals not eared at base ; stamens united into a sheath having a broad gland 



below instead of spurs. 



1. VIOLA, VIOLET, HEART'S-EASE. (The ancient Latin name.) 



* Stemless Violets, with leaves and peduncles all from creeping or sub- 

 terranean rootstocks, there being no proper ascending stems ; all flower- 

 ing in spring. 



*- Garden species, from Europe; fragrant. 



V. odorata, Linn. Sweet Violet. Tufts spreading by creeping run- 

 ners ; leaves rounded heart-shaped, more or less downy ; flowers violet- 

 blue, varying to white ; single, or in cultivation commonly full double. 

 Hardy. 



+- *- Wild species; only slightly sweet-scented or scentless. 



** Flowers blue or violet-color. 



= Bootstock short and thick; stigma not beaked; lateral petals not 



bearded. 



V. pedata, Linn. Bird-foot V. Leaves all cut into linear divisions 

 or lobes ; the flower large, beardless, usually light violet-color, sometimes 

 whitish, sometimes the two upper petals deep dark violet, like a pansy ; 

 sandy or light soil. 



= = Bootstock fleshy and thickened; stigma beaked; spur short and sac- 

 like; lateral petals bearded. 



V. pedatffida, G. Bon. (or V. dephinie6lia). Leaves all palmately 

 divided or parted ; segments 2-3-cleft ; lobes linear. Prairies, 111. W. 



V. palmata, Linn. Common Blue V. Rootstocks matted, scaly- 

 toothed ; leaves erect and heart-shaped or kidney-shaped, obscurely 

 serrate, the later ones, 3-7-cleft or parted, with the sides at the base 

 rolled in when young, on long petioles ; flowers sometimes pale or varie- 

 gated with white. 



The var. cucullata, Gray, has the later leaves merely crenate, not 

 lobed. Both forms very variable and common. 



V. sagittata, Ait. Arrow-leaved V. Leaves varying from oblong- 

 heart-shaped to ovate and often rather halberd-shaped, toothed near base, 

 the earlier ones on short and margined petioles ; flower large in propor- 

 tion ; common. 



