VIOLACEAE. 165 



parietal several-ovuled placentae; capsule 3-valved; endosperm 

 copious. 



234. VIOLA. Violet. 



Mostly perennial herbs; leaves alternate, with foliaceous 

 stipules; peduncles 1-flowered, axillary; flowers usually of two 

 kinds, the earlier ones perfect and conspicuous, but often sterile, 

 the later (near the ground in stemless species) with small and 

 rudimentary petals, cleistogamous and producing numerous 

 seeds; sepals unequal, more or less auricled; petals unequal, the 

 lower spurred; the two lower stamens spurred. 



Stemless; leaves and flowers all from a subterranean root- 

 stock; flowers violet. V. nephrophylla. 

 Stems leafy, though sometimes very short. 

 Flowers violet or violet-tinged. 



Style capitate; stipules entire. V. canadensis. 



Style slender, not capitate; stipules toothed. V. adunca. 



Flowers yellow. 



Stigma beardless; leaves reniform-orbicular. V. orbiculata. 



Stigma bearded. 



Glabrous; leaves cordate-reniforra, crenulate. V. glabella. 



Puberulent; leaves ovate to oblong-lanceolate. 



Leaves coarsely toothed or lobed. V. venosa. 



Leaves entire or nearly so. V. nuttallii. 



Viola nephrophylla Greene. Glabrous or nearly so; leaves thickish, reni- 

 form to cordate, faintly crenate, obtuse, 2-6 cm. long, rather pale; flowers 

 violet, on peduncles 10-20 cm. long, exceeding the leaves; lateral petals bearded, 

 the spurred one villous; sepals ovate-lanceolate, obtuse; capsules oblong, gla- 

 brous. In springy places. 



Viola canadensis L. Herbage minutely pubescent, but at length glabrate, 

 20-30 cm. high; leaves cordate, serrate, acute, rather large; stipules scarious, 

 lanceolate; flowers whitish, the back of the petals tinged with violet; lateral 

 petals bearded; spurred petal yellow at base within and dark- veined; sepals 

 narrow, acuminate; capsule oval, glabrous. In woods, Craig Mountains. 



Viola adunca Smith. Stems leafy, short or at length elongated, from 

 creeping rootstocks, nearly glabrous throughout; leaves ovate, obtuse, slightly 

 cordate at base, crenate, usually brown dotted, 1-3 cm. long, on slender petioles, 

 5-8 cm. long; stipules foliaceous, lanceolate, fringe-toothed; flowers violet- 

 purple, rarely white; petals 6-12 mm. long, the lateral ones bearded; spurs 

 nearly straight, as long as the petals. Stony hillsides and copses. Common 

 and variable. 



Typical Viola adunca has puberulent leaves. The glabrous or nearly gla- 

 brous form Is Viola adunca glabra Brainerd. 



Viola orbiculata Geyer. Rootstocks short, scaly; leaves orbicular, cordate, 

 glabrous or nearly so, the deep sinus often closed, obscurely crenate, 1^ cm. 

 broad; petioles slender, 5-10 cm. long; flowering scapes about as long as the 

 leaves; petals yellow, 7-10 mm. long, the blunt spurs short. Early plants 

 appear as if acaulescent, the leafy branches being produced later and bearing 

 only cleistogamous flowers. Coniferous woods, in the mountains. 



