WHITE VIOLETS. 



Although not nearly as showy and 

 conspicuous as their larger blue and 

 purple cousins, SWEET WHITE 

 VIOLETS have an attraction that 

 the others do not have in that they 

 are sweet scented. Like the blue 

 ones, they grow small and short in 

 unfavorable situations and long-stem- 

 med and fairly large in the marshes 

 or moist woods that are their prefer- 

 able haunts. The flowers are small, 

 expanding less than a half inch. 

 Fine purplish lines running down 

 the throat guide visiting insects to 

 the nectary at the base of the short 

 spur. Smaller and shorter tongued 

 bees and butterflies usually visit the white violets, while 

 those with comparatively long tongues only, can reach to 

 the bottom of the longer spurs on the blue violets. The 

 leaves of this species, all proceeding from the base of the 

 plant, are heart-shaped at the base but much rounder than 

 those of the Common Blue Violet. 



The LANCE-LEAVED VIOLET, also a white species, 

 is taller and more slender than the Sweet White variety and 

 the flowers are usually a trifle larger although less sweetly 

 scented. A distinct and ready means of identification is 

 furnished by the long, narrow, lance-shaped leaves which 

 grow from the root. Late in summer they send out many 

 stolens or runners which take root at intervals and form new 

 plants. These violets also bear cleistogamous flowers, tiny 

 ones concealed among the bases of the leaves, which set 

 their seed without unfolding. Consequently these plants 

 are exceedingly well fitted to battle successfully for their 

 existence. They require wetter situations than most blue 

 violets and in such places greatly outnumber their blue cou- 

 sins although their smaller size and modest colors render 

 them inconspicuous by comparison. 



