232 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS 



VIOLA 



stipules large, ovate, entire or serrated 

 at the top. Flowers in spring and early 

 summer, yeUow, lower petal strealsed 

 with purple ; sepals oblong lance-shaped ; 

 spur very short; stigma with 2 tufts of 

 hair. 



The variety erioca/rpa is much taller, 

 stouter grovring, and more downy than 

 the species, and has woolly seed pods. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



V. pyrolcefolia. — A Patagonian species, 

 with ovate or more or less heart-shaped 

 leaves, with stipules fringed at the apex. 

 Flowers in winter (January), yellow ; 

 petals densely bearded within ; sepals 

 pointed ; spur short, blunt. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



V. rostrata. — A native of N. America, 

 4-6 in. high, with roundish heart-shaped, 

 serrate leaves, upper ones acute ; stipules 

 large, lance-shaped, fringed, toothed. 

 Flowers in early summer, dingy purple 

 or lavender, with darker streaks. Petals 

 smooth ; spur slender, rather acute, ^ in. 

 long. 



Culture dc. as above. 



V. rothomagensis. — A free-growing 

 hairy species, native of Belgium, France, 

 and SioEy, with rather spindle-shaped roots, 

 and zigzag branching stems. Leaves ovate, 

 the lower ones somewhat heart-shaped, 

 crenate, fringed, stipules pinnatifid, rather 

 lyrate ; flowers from April to August, 

 bright blue, the side petals and lip striped 

 with black ; spur tubular, blunt, shorter 

 than the sepals; bracts near the flower, 

 lance-shaped, with a tooth on each side. 



Culture dc. as above. This species 

 requires a warm, sheltered position. It 

 is sometimes called the Eouen Violet, and 

 is best raised from seeds sown annually as 

 recommended above. 



V. rotundifolia. — An American species 

 with a creeping rootstock. Leaves shining, 

 roundish ovate, heart-shaped, slightly 

 crenate, increasing from 1 in. broad at 

 flowering time to 3 or 4 inches. Flowers 

 in early spring, yellow ; side petals bearded 

 and lined with brown ; spur very short. 



Culture dc. as above. 



V. sagittata (F. dentata). — A smooth 

 or hairy species from N. America. Leaves 

 with small and margined or naked stalks, 

 varying from oblong heart-shaped to has- 

 tate, sagittate, oblong lance-shaped, or 

 ovate, toothed. Flowers in spring and 

 early summer, rather large, purplish- 



blue ; usually the side, but sometimes all 

 the petals, bearded ; spur short and thick ; 

 stigma bearded. The variety ema/rginata 

 has almost triangular leaves, lacerate - 

 toothed near the base ; petals emarginate 

 or with 2 teeth. 



Culture dc. as above. 



V. Selkirki (F. umibrosa). — A small 

 delicate fibrous-rooted species, native of 

 North America. Leaves roundly heart- 

 shaped, crenate, with a deep, narrow sinus, 

 and minutely hairy above. Flowers in 

 spring and early summer, pale violet; 

 spur very large, nearly as long as petals, 

 thickened at the end. 



Culture dc. as above. 



V. striata. — A North American species 

 with ascending angular stems, 6-12 in. 

 high. Leaves heart-shaped, finely ser- 

 rated, often acute ; stipules large, oblong 

 lance-shaped, fringed with strong teeth. 

 Flowers from April to October, cream- 

 coloured or white ; side petals bearded, 

 the lower ones lined with purple ; spin: 

 rather thick, much shorter than the petals ; 

 stigma beaked. 



Culture dc. as above. 



V. suavis (Russian Violet),- — A native 

 of Tauria, with long creeping and rooting 

 stolons. Leaves downy, kidney- or heart- 

 shaped, crenate. Flowers from March to 

 May, pale blue, white at the base, sweet- 

 scented ; sepals blunt ; four upper petals 

 narrowest, the lower one emarginate, the 

 2 side ones with a, hairy line ; stigma 

 hooked, naked. 



Culture dc. as above. 



V. sylvestris (Wood Violet). — A native 

 of the copses and woods of Britain. Boot- 

 stock very short. Plant smooth with 

 leaves in a rosette, broadly ovate heart- 

 shaped, stipules lance-shaped acute, 

 fimbriate or toothed. Flowers from 

 March to July, bluish-purple or lilac ; base 

 of sepals much produced in fruit ; spur 

 short, broad, compressed, furrowed, usually 

 pale. The variety reichenbachiama has 

 flowers smaller, paler and earlier ; spurs 

 longer, fruiting sepals scarcely produced. 

 The variety riviniana has the lower 

 leaves as broad as long ; the upper ones 

 a little narrower than long. Flowers 

 later in summer than the type, bluish- 

 purple or lilac, scentless ; petaJs obovate 

 oblong, the lowest much broader than the 

 others ; flower-stalks long, vrith 2 small 

 bracts. There is also a variety having 



