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PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS 



VIOLA 



base. Petals 5, hypogynous or slightly perigynous, equal or unequal, imbri- 

 cate or often contorted in bud. Stamens 5, hypogynous, or slightly peri- 

 gynous ; filaments dilated, with connectives produced beyond the anthers. 

 Ovary sessile, free, 1-celled, many-seeded. Fruit a 3-valved, dehiscent capsule, 

 rarely an indehiscent berry. 



VIOLA (Violet ; Pansy ; Hearts- 

 ease). — -A genus containing over 200 

 species according to some authors, but 

 reduced to about 100 by Bentham and 

 Hooker, mostly pretty perennial herbs, 

 rarely shrubs, with alternate leaves, and 

 persistent, often leafy, stipules. Flower 

 stalks axillary, 1- rarely 2- flowered. Se- 

 pals almost equal, produced at the base. 

 Petals spreading, the lower ones often 

 larger, spurred or saccate at the base. 

 Anthers connate and produced at the apex, 

 the 2 lower stamens often spurred at the 

 base. 



Violas often produce two kinds of 

 flowers — the large petalled ones, which 

 appear first and often yield no seed ; and 

 the smaller petalled, or non-petalous ones, 

 which appear later, and produce seed 

 freely, being often fertUised in bud, when 

 they are said to be ' cleistogamous.' 



Culture and, Propagation. — Generally 

 speaking Violas of all kinds are among 

 the most easily grown plants in gardens. 

 They delight in a rich, moist, sandy soil 

 but dislike stagnant water at the roots 

 and a position that is never shaded from 

 the scorching rays of the summer sun. 

 As most of them gi'ow naturally in banks, 

 copses, more or less mar3hyplaces,pastures 

 &c., where they are to a certain extent 

 shaded by the overhanging branches of 

 trees, or by the leaves of the surrounding 

 vegetation, they thrive under somewhat 

 similar conditions in a cultivated state. 

 The cultivation of Sweet Violets (V. 

 odorata) and Pansies {V. tricolor) is dealt 

 with under their respective species. 



Violas are easily increased by seeds, 

 cuttings, or division. If desired to flower 

 the same year, say in autumn, the seeds 

 should be sown in spring in the open 

 border during April and May in light 

 rich soil. If the flowers are wanted in 

 spring, the seeds may be sown in August 

 or September so that the seedhngs will 

 be strong and well-estabUshed for the 

 whiter months. The seedlings may be 

 either pricked out and transplanted once 

 or twice to induce the development of 

 masses of fibrous roots, or they may be 



thinned out in the spot where the seeds 

 have been sown. Cuttings may be taken 

 early in April and inserted in a prepared 

 patch of fine sandy soil in a shady border, 

 and protected by handhghts or frames, 

 until well rooted. By September they 

 may be transplanted to their permanent 

 quarters, and will give a good supply of 

 bloom the following spring. If planted 

 in beds by themselves they should not be 

 nearer than 1 ft. apart so as to admit of 

 hoeing. After flowering the plants may 

 be lifted and carefully divided into as 

 many pieces as possible, and replanted, 

 each rooted portion making a good tuft 

 for next season's flowering. 



V. altaica. — A native of the Altaian 

 Mts. with hard creeping slender roots. 

 Leaves oval, with sharply toothed wedge- 

 shaped stipules. Flowers from March to 

 June, yellow, large, with acute toothed 

 sepals, and an urn-shaped stigma. 



Culture dc. as above. 



V. arenaria. — A somewhat rare British 

 species, compact in growth, and covered 

 with a hoary down, the whole plant 2-6 in. 

 across. Leaves roundish, ovate, blunt. 

 Flowers from April to June, with broad 

 pale blue petals, and a short spur. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



V. biflora.— A pretty httle Violet 3-4 

 in. high, widely distributed throughout 

 Asia, Europe, and America. Leaves 

 kidney-shaped, serrated, smooth, with 

 ovate stipules. Flowers from April to 

 Jxme, small, yellow, the lip streaked with 

 black, usually in pairs, petals smooth; 

 spur very short, sepals linear, stigma 

 bifid. 



Culture dc. as above. This curious 

 httle Violet requires well-drained sandy 

 peat and loam, and may be increased by 

 dividing the roots in early autumn or in 

 spring, and also by seeds sown as above. 

 It dislikes simny places. 



V. blanda. — An American species with 

 creeping rootstock, and roun^sh, heart- 

 shaped or kidney-shaped, sUghtly downy 

 leaves. Flowers in early spring, white, 

 small, faintly scented ; petals almost beard- 



