Viola Tricolor. Wild P 



ANSI E, 



VIOLA tAnmzi Gen. PL Syngenesia Monogamia. 



Rail Synop. Gen. 20. Herb;e Pentapetal^e Vasculiferje. 

 VIOLA tricolor, caule triquetro diffufo, foliis oblongis iucifis, ftipuiis plnnatifidis. Linn. Syft. Vegetab. p. 



668. Fl. Suecic. 307. t 



VIOLA* caule diftufo, lmnoib, foliis ovatis dentatis, flore calyce paulo majori. Haller. hi/1, torn, r. n. 569. 

 VIOLA bicolor arvenlis. C. Bauhin. pin. ioOi 

 VIOLA tricolor fylveftris. Parkin [on. 755. 

 J ACE A bicolor frugum et hortorum vitium. /. Bauhin. III. 548. Raii Syn. p. 336. 11. Hudfon. PL 



Angl. p: 331. Scopoli. FL Carniol. p. 183. 



RADIX fimplex, fibrofa. 



GAULIS palmaris et ultra, plefumque diffufus, ramofus, 



angulofus, ad bafin fordide purpureas ; rami 



alter ill. 

 FOLIA longe petiolata, elliptica, crenata, inferioribus 



fsepe minoribus, fubrotuhdis, fuperiofibus ah- 



guftis, fubdentatis. 

 STlPULZE ad bafiii laciiiiato-pinnatifidae, laciniis linea- 



ribusj extrema oblonga, dentata; 



PEDUNCULI fubquadrangulares, alterni, apice iiicur- 

 vati, dorfo canaliculati, ftipulis duobus^ par- 

 vis, membranaceis, prope florem, inftru£li. 



CALYX : PERiANTHiuMpentaphyllum, perfiftens, fo- 

 liolis acutis, tria fuperiora minora, ad bafin 

 sequalia, fuprema erecta, petalis fuprefnis lon- 

 giora, duo inferiora apice et bafi eaeteris longi- 

 ora, bafiqiie latiora, petalis infimis breviora, 



■Pry f 1 

 J'5' " 



COROLLA pentapetala, irregularis, duo fuperiora fub- 

 rotunda, integerrima, albida, deorfum fpectantia; 

 lateralium lamina ovata, obtufa. ad bafm bar- 

 bata, lineaque brevi purpurea notata ; infimum 

 latum emarginatum, ad bafmflavum,lineis quin- 

 quepurpureispictum, calcare seu nectario 



KECTARIUM. terminatum, longitudine calycis, apiee 

 violaceo, obtufo, fig. 3, 4, 5, 6. 



STAMINA: FiLAMENTAquinque, breyimrtia; Anthe- 

 rs albidas, vix coadunatae, biloculares, mem- 

 brana crocea terminate, e dubous inferioribus 

 exeunt, neclariumque intrant, appendicular duse 

 lineares, fg. 7, 8, 9, 10. 



PISTILLUM: Germen fubconicum, fg. 11 ; Stylus 

 ad bafin tortuofus, ftaminibus longior, fg. 1 2 ; 

 Stigma capitatum, oblique perforatum, per- 

 fiftens, fg. 13. 



PERICARPIUM: Capsula ovata, glabra, uniloculars, 

 trivalvis, fg. 14, 1 5. 



SEMINA plurima, ovata, fufca, nitida, appendiculata, 

 valvis feriatim affixa, fg. 15. 



&OOT limple and fibrous. 



STALK about four or fix inches high, generally fpread- 

 ing, branched, angular, at bottom of a dull pur- 

 ple colour ; the branches alternate. 



LEAVES placed on long foot-ftalks, elliptical, crenated, 

 the lowermoft often fmaller and roundifh, the 

 uppermoft narrow and llightly indented. 



ST1PUL/E at bottom jagged and pinnatifid, the la'ci- 

 niae or jags linear, that which terminates the 

 Stipula oblong and indented.- 



FOOT-STALKS of the flowers, nearly quadrangular, 

 alternate, bent in at top, channeled on the 

 back, and furnifhed with two fmall membra- 

 nous Stipuhe near the flower. 



CALYX : a Perianthium of five leaves and continu- 

 ing, the leaves fharply pointed, the three Upper 

 ones fmalleft, and equal at bottom, the upper- 

 moft upright and longer than the uppermoft pe- 

 tals, the two under leaves longer both at bottom 

 and top than the reft, and at bottom likewife 

 broader, fhorter than the lowermoft petals, fig. 2. 



COROLLA pentapetalous and irregular, the two upper- 

 moft petals roundifh, entire, and reflected ; the 

 lamina or broad part of the fide petals oval, ob- 

 tufe, bearded at bottom, and marked with a 

 fhort purple line ; the lowermoft petal broad, 

 emarginate, yellow at bottom, and ftreaked 

 With five purple lines, and terminated by a 



NECTARY. Spur or Nectary the length of the 

 Calyx, with a blueifh and blunt point, fig. 3, 



4, 5> 6 - . 



STAMINA: five Filaments very fhort; Anthers 

 whitifh, fcarcely united, bilocular, terminated 

 by a faffron coloured membrane ; from the two 

 lowermoft two linear appendages go off and 

 enter the Nectary, fig. 7, 8, 9, 10. 



PISTILLUM : GerMen fomewhat conical, fig. 1 1 ; 

 Style twifted at bottom and longer than the 

 Stamina,^* 12; Stigma forming a little head, 

 obliquely perforated and continuing, fig. 13. 



SEED-VESSEL: ah oval fmooth Capsule of one cavity 

 and three valves, fig. 14, 15. 



SEEDS numerous, oval, brown and fhining, with a 

 button to each, affixed in rows to the infide 

 of the valves, fig. 15. 



Few plants have acquired a greater variety of names than the Viola tricolor ; in different Authors and different 

 counties we find the following, viz. Wild Panfie, Herb Trinity, Hearts eafe t Three faces under a hood, Cull me to you, 

 Love in Idlenefs, &c. what has occafioned fome of thefe is the different appearance it puts on from cultivation and 

 change of foil ; in a garden there are few flowers that can boaft a greater variety or richnefs of colour, few that 

 continue longer in bloflbm, or are cultivated with more eafe ; it is probable that the large yellow Violet, Viola lutea, 

 is no more than a variety of this fpecies. 



The Panfie in its wild ftate occurs very frequently in cultivated fields, and blofToira through moft of the fummer 

 months. It is fo hardy as to appear in Lapland amongft the few other plants which ornament the waftes of 

 that Country during its fhort fummer. It is eaten by Kine and Goats. 



The difference in the form of the Stigma feems to divide the plants of this Genus into two families^ viz. Panfies 

 and Violets, in the former the Stigma is round, with a remarkable hole on one fide of it, in the latter it is hooked. 



Linnaeus remarks the black lines which fometimes appear on the Petals, Milton had obferved the fame, 

 " Panfies freakt with Jet" In a poor foil the purple and yellow in the bloom of this flower frequently become 

 very faint, and fometimes fade into a perfect white, this variation in colour gives a propriety to the Metamorphofis 

 of this flower in which Shakespear pays an elegant compliment to his royal miftrefs. 



That very time I faw, (but thou could f not) 

 Flying between the cold Moon and the Earth, 

 Cupid all-arm d: a certain aim he took, 

 At a fair Vefal, throned by the we/}, 

 And loos' 'd his love-fijaft fmartly from his bow, 

 As it fdould pierce a hundred thoufand hearts : 

 But I might fee young Cupid's fiery fij aft 

 ^uench'd in the chafe beams of the watery moon, 

 And the imperial votrefs pa/fed on, 

 In maiden meditation fancy-free. 

 Tet markka 1 I where the bolt of Cupid fell, 

 It fell upon a little we/lern flower ; 

 Before, milk-white-, now purple with Love's wound, 

 And Maidens call it Love in Idlenefs, 



