54 vioLACE^. [Viola. 



upwards, stigma flattened at top with a lateral beak, scions none, 

 root creeping. Sm. E. Fl. i. p. 303. Br. Fl. p. 47. Lind. Syn. 

 p. 35. E. B. vii. t. 444. Curt. Fl. Lond. fasc. 3, t. 58. 



Sir James Smith refers to a figure of this species in Abbot's Fl. Bedford., in 

 addition to that of E. B., not perceiving that both are impressions from the very 

 same plate. 



In spongy bogs, wet pastures and swampy woods and thickets in East Medina, 

 abundant, though very local, i^/. April — June. i^r. June. If. 



E. Med.— Iw Horringford wilhy-bed it quite covers the soil in many places. 

 In boggy ground where the Cranberry grows above the Wilderness, towards 

 Appleford. Parsonage Lynch, Newchiircb, and I believe in most boggy thickets 

 about that village. Very plentifully in wet ground above Alverstone mill, with 

 Myrica, Menyanthes and Hydrocotyle, in various places. In a low meadow near 

 Merrygarden, but sparingly. Bog near Burnt House, Dr. Bell-Salter. Marsh 

 on Apse heath, Mr. Snooke. 



Whole plant perfectly glabrous, excepting, it is said, the young leaves occa- 

 sionally. Root pale, nodosely articulated, creeping horizontally and emitting 

 numerous slender branching fibres, but no stolons. Leaves few, radical, perfectly 

 glabrous, somewhat succulent and often very shining underneath, roundish 

 renil'orm, nearly circular, sometimes slightly pointed, deeply cordate, broadly, 

 evenly and shallowly cienate. Petioles variable in length, generally much, some- 

 times many times longer than the leaves, terete but flattened above and grooved 

 for some distance below the summit, not winged, brittle, with a tough medullaiy 

 cord in the centre. Stipules large, ovate or lanceolate, acute, membranous, 

 sheathing and persistent, entire or minutely glanduloso-denticulate. Scapes 1 or 

 more, simple, erect, about 2 — 5 inches high, single-flowered, as long as or longer 

 than the leaves, flattened on two opposite sides, with a slight furrow along each 

 face, most conspicuous towards the summit or above the pair of small, lanceolate, 

 acute, somewhat toothed bracts, placed opposite to or a little alternate with each 

 other about the middle of the scape. Flowers nodding, scentless, the size of the 

 common Sweet Violet. Ca^yx-segments equal in length, entire, with narrow white 

 edges, scarcely half the length of the petioles, rounded or obtuse, faintly nerved, 

 the 2 interior narrower, elliptical, the 3 outer ovate-oblong. Petals of a very 

 dilute grayish blue or pui'ple, occcasionally while, the lowermost one obeordate, 

 more or less emarginate, beautifully pencilled with dark purple veins, terminating 

 posteriorly in a very short straight and obtuse spur ; two lateral petals with a 

 small tuft of clavate pellucid bristles near their upper margin towards the claw, 

 where is a central purple streak and two faint lateral ones ; upper petals plain. 

 Anthers sessile, with orange-coloured appendages, the 2 inferior with a short green 

 securiform process. Style ascending and greatly contracted just above the base, 

 thence much dilated upwards to its flat truncate summit {stigma), which is pro- 

 duced anteriorly into a short straight beak. Capsules whitish, drooping or pendu- 

 lous, for the most part so strongly deflexed as to be applied to the peduncle, some- 

 times erect, 5 or 6 lines long, oblongo-elliptical, very obtuse, bluntly trigonous, 

 with 3 deep furrows on each face, the valves at length hard and brittle. Seeds 

 ovoid, dark bottle-green, smooth and shining, attached by a minute caruncle at 

 their pointed extremity, the other end marked by a small flat scar. 



The Marsh Violet is a plant of cold mountainous districts, hence it is seldom 

 seen in the S. of England, though common in the northero counties. 



** With an evident stem. 



4. V. canina, L. Dog Violet. " Primary stem short and bear- 

 ing leaves only, lateral ones or flowering branches numerous 

 ascending simple, leaves broadly cordate more or less acute, sti- 

 pules ciliato-dentate, sepals acuminate." — Br. Fl. p. 47. E. B. 

 t. 620. 



