VIOLET FAMILY. Violaceae. 
VIOLET FAMILY. Véiolaceae. 
A rather large family, widely distributed, but we have 
only three genera, the principal one being Viola, which is 
the ancient Latin name, used by Virgil. 
There are many kinds of Viola, widely distributed, 
blooming in spring, but often flowering again in the 
autumn; low, perennial herbs, with stipules; leaves alter- 
nate, or from the root; flowers complete, irregular, nodding, 
nectar-yielding, usually single; sepals five, with small ear- 
shaped projections at the base; petals five, slightly bearded 
within, so as to afford a foothold for bees, the lowest petal 
larger and with a spur at the back; stamens five, short, 
with broadened filaments and anthers opening inward, so 
as to cover the pistil all but the end of the style, the two 
lower-anthers with spurs at the base, which project into the 
spur of the petal; ovary superior and one-celled; style club- 
shaped, with a one-sided stigma. The flowers are often 
of two kinds, the earlier ones with long flower-stalks, with 
petals and showy, but not producing seed; the later ones 
with short stalks, with small or no petals, but fertile, often 
cleistogamous, that is, fertilized in the bud. The capsule 
splits open and as the three valves dry they fold firmly 
together lengthwise and force out the seeds. 
“teat A pretty plant, growing in the woods, 
Viola lobata with leafy stems, from four to fourteen 
Yellow inches high, with leafy stipules and smooth, 
Spring, summer father light green leaves, deeply lobed, 
CSS Sree: so that they look unlike most Violet 
leaves. The flowers are more or less clustered, an inch 
or more across, with bright yellow petals, veined with 
purple inside, tinged with purplish-brown outside, the 
two side petals with a little hairy patch at the base inside. 
a eh nc ig Sid A shy little woodland plant, from five 
sane to twelve inches tall, with creeping root- 
Viola ocellata stocks and small, dry stipules. The 
White and yellow flowers are an inch or less across, the two 
Spring, summer 4 ner petals white, tinged with reddish- 
Cal., Oreg. : 
purple on the outside, and the other petals 
white or yellow, with a splash of purple on each of the two 
side petals and the lower one veined with purple. This 
grows in shady woods. 
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