NATIVE WILD FLOWERS 
lings of purple at the base of the petals. It is a moisture- 
loving plant, and affects open, recently overflowed ground, 
near creeks. It comes so early that we welcome its appear- 
ance thankfully, for it 
“ Tells us that winter, cold winter, is past, 
And that spring, welcome spring, is returning at last.” 
On pulling up a thrifty plant late in the summer, it sur- 
prises you with a new set of flowers, quite different from 
the spring blossoms; these are small buds and flowers of 
a dull chocolate-brown, lying almost covered over in the 
mould, with seed pods, some ready to shed the ripened 
seed, others just formed. 
A variety of this mysterious little plant has been dis- 
tinguished by some botanists as Viola clandestina, from 
the curious hidden way in which it produces the sub- 
terranean flowers and seeds. 
The commonest among our blue Violets is 
THe HoopED VIOLET—Viola cucullata (Ait.), 
so-called from the involute habit of the leaves, which, wher 
first appearing, are folded inwardly, as if to shield the 
tender buds of the flowers from the chilling winds. There: 
are many forms or varieties of this species, varying very 
much in appearance, the difference being probably due to- 
the habitat in which they occur. One of the handsomest is: 
the large blue Wood Violet, which flowers about the middle: 
of June, has blue scentless flowers with round petals, and: 
large blunt hirsute leaves, and is found in low woods.” 
Another variety, with deep violet flowers, has elongated 
petals and pointed, rather smooth leaves of a purplish tint, 
*Viola Dicksoni, Greene. 
