VIOLET FAMILY 



There are many Violets in our woods and fields— all beauti- 

 ful — but the one best known and best loved is the Common 

 Blue, which sometimes covers hollows and hillocks in such purple 



crowds that 



One might guess 

 A storm of blossoms had fallen there 

 And covered the ground with a sweet excess. 



One broad distinction between species of Violets lies in the fact 

 that some are stemless, that is, both the leaves and the flowers 

 apparently spring directly from the ground, while others have 

 stems upon which the leaves and flowers are borne. Blue Violet 

 is one of the stemless species. 



Possibly more than one observer has noted that no matter how 

 abundant may be the blue blossoms — they may fairly carpet the 

 earth — there is no corresponding production of seed. When one 

 comes to think of it, there are never very many seeds on the Blue 

 Violets; and thereon hangs a curious botanical tale. For it 

 appears that this profusion of blue blossoms is largely for show 

 and not for use, and that when the plant really wants to mature 

 some seeds, it puts forth under the leaves and next to the ground 

 some flowers which never open nor develop petals but are fertil- 

 ized in the bud and are exceedingly fruitful. These are produced 

 throughout the entire summer and are known as cleistogamous 

 flowers — that is, fertilized in the bud. 



The Violet is mentioned both by Homer and by Virgil. It was 

 dear to the Athenians who deemed themselves most complimented 

 when called violet-crowned. Ion was its Greek name, and Shake- 

 speare, referring to OpheUa, alludes to the old tradition which 

 said that this flower was raised from the body of lo by the agency 

 of Diana. 



Lay her i' the earth, 



And from her fair and unpolluted flesh 



May violets spring! 



"Hamlet," Act V, Sc. i. 



Every garden is the better for a bank of Blue Violets, and 

 they can be had simply by going to the fields for them. 



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