V 



I O L A HIRTA. 



H 



AIRY 



V 



I O L E T. 



VIOLA Linntei Gen. Pk SyngeneSia MonogAmia; 



Calyx pentaphyllus; Corolla pentapetala, irregularis, poflice eornuta* Capfuld 

 fupra, trivalvis, unilocularis. 



Rail SyilOp. Getl. 24. HeRBA PENTAPETALiE VASCULIFERiEi 



VIOLA hirta acatiliSj foliis petiolifqUe hirfutis, bractasis infra medium pedunculL 



VIOLxA. hlrta acaulis, foliis Cordatis pilofo hifpidis. Linn. Syjl. Vegetab. p. 668. 



VIOLA acaulis, foliis cordatis hifpidis. Haller hijl. helv. n. $59. 



VIOLA hlrla Hud/on Ft. Angl. p. 330, 



VIOLA martia major hirfuta inodora* Hijl. ox. IL 475» 



VIOLA trachelii folio vulgO; Rail hijl. 1651, Syn* p. 36$. Violet with Throat- wort ieaves; 



So great is the fimilarity betwixt this Species and the Viola odorata, that to defcribe it in the fame man- 

 ner as I have that plant, would be to repeat nearly the fame words* To avoid this famenefs of expremon, 

 I mall adopt a defcription in the way of contrail:, which will enable me to point out the differences of each 

 in a manner more ftriking, and I hope equally fatisfactory to my botanic readers, 



I would firft premife, that as it is my greateft wifh to clear up every difficulty reflecting the fpecies and 

 varieties _ of thofe plants xvhich come properly before me, fo I have with that view, not only examined this 

 plant with the greateft attention, where it has grown wild, but alfo cultivated it in my garden along with the 

 odorata, and hence, feeing and noticing its mode of growth throughout the year, have perhaps been able to 

 obtain a clearer idea of its hiitory, than thofe who may have viewed it at one particular feafon only. 



The Viola odor at a throws out from the upper part of its root a number of ftolones or moots, which trail 

 on the ground, and quickly take root at the joints, whereby it propagates itfelf very faft ; the hiria likewife 

 encreafes itfelf by throwing out young ftalks ; but then they are not procumbent, nor do they ever ftrike root 

 as thofe of the odorata do ; hence the hlrta does not encreafe fo faft, nor fpreadfo wide. Although Linnjeus makes 

 a considerable difference in the form of the roots of thefe plants, yet from what I have obferved, this difference pro- 

 ceeds chiefly from the age of the roots ; for in both fpecies, the older they are, the more full are they of tubercles or 

 cicatrices, formed by the annual fhedding of the leaves. 



The radical Stipule are lanceolate and ferrated in both fpecies. 



The footftalks of the leaves form perhaps the moil obvious difference ; in the odorata they are nearly fmooth ; 

 in the hirta they are very hirfute, and this hairinefs puts on a kind of filvery appearane in the young plants of this 

 fpecies, where it is remarkably confpicuous. 



In the leaves themfelves the difference is for the moil: part, not very remarkable, for in both fpecies they are 

 fomewhat hirfute underneath ; thofe of the hirta however, are fometimes remarkably fo, from growing in particular 

 foils or situations : the leaves of the cerate have a more glofly appearance on their upper furface, but this fcarce 

 diicriminates them unlefs they are contrafted. With refpect to fhape and fize likewife, the difference is not verv 

 obvious ; both fpecies when in bloom are fmall, compared with the fize to which they afterwards gTow. In 

 make they are fomewhat longer, and not fo perfectly heart-fhaped. 



In the fpecimens of this plant which I have examined, I could not perceive that fenfible difference which 

 LiNNjEus^ notices (vid. Mantijf. Plant, alt. p. 483J in the fhape of the Peduncle above the Bractese ; in both fpecies 

 they certainly are channeled at the back : in the Situation of the Bracteae, however, there is a very confiderable 

 difference, which does not appear to have been taken notice of, and this feemed to me to be fo obvious a character, 

 that I trait it will apologize for my altering its fpecific defcription : in the odorata, the Brattete are placed above the 

 middle of the Scapus, or Peduncle ; in the hirta, they are fituate below it : but there is one caution neceffary to be 

 obferved refpecting this chara&er, viz. that the Bradteas of each be obferved, juit when the flowers are fully expand- 

 ed, for as that part of the Scapus, which is fituated above the Bractese, grows confiderably longer by the time 

 that the_ flowers of the odorata are faded, fo they iliould both be examined when of an equal age, otherwife 

 this diftinction will not appear fo remarkable. 



The flowers of the_ hirta, in general, appear about a week later than thofe of the odorata, are of a paler 



LiNNiEus in his Flora Suecica, n. 789, obferves that the flovvers which the Viola mirabilis firffc produces'' from the 

 root, are furaiihed with Petals, yet that thefe for the moil part are barren, while thofe which blow later the fame 

 Spring, and rife from the ftalk, although deilitute of Petals, produce perfect feed : and Jacquin, in his excellent 

 work the Flora Aiiftriaca, where this plant is figured, (Vol. r. pi. iq.) confirms the truth of Linnjet/s's obfervations, 

 and fays that the barrenefs of thofe flowers appeared to arife from a deficiency of the Stylus. Linnjeus in his va- 

 luable treatife above quoted, obferves likewife, that the flovvers of the Viola montana, which appear firft, are furnimgd 

 with Petals, but that thofe which arc afterwards produced have no Petals, yet neverthelefs are fertile ; and this I 

 find, on repeated examination, to be the cafe with the Viola odorata and hirta, but more particularly the latter : they 

 differ from the Viola mirabilis in this refpect, that all the flowers which are formed, both with and without Petals,, 

 produce perfect feed. I was led to this difcovery from obferving a fmgle plant of the Viola hirta, to produce about the 

 middle of Summer, ten or twelve capfules of ripe feeds, on which I was certain in the Spring no more than two or 

 three blonoms had appeared : the next Spring I difcovered, that befides thofe perfed bloflbms which firft fpring up,, 

 this plant continues for a month or more to throw out new flowers, which are entirely deftitute of Petals, or have 

 only the rudiments of them which never appear beyond the Calyx ; but all the other parts of the fructification are 

 perfect. The capfules in both thefe fpecies, when they become nearly ripe, lay clofe to the ground, fo that when 

 they burft, the feeds have an eafy accefs into the earth. 



There is fome difference with refpect to the foil and iituation in which thefe two plant 

 very generally under warm hedges, and in woods ; the other appears to be pretty much confined to a chalkv foil, and 

 often occurs in more expofed iituation s, in the fields and on the banks about 



abundance. 



delight 5 the odorata grows 



nfined to a chalky foil, and 



t Charlton, it may be found in tolerabW 



