164 



KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



The sweet violet, like some others of its 

 family, is liable to another change, the reverse 

 of doubling. Its later flowers are frequently 

 altogether without petals, and these are 

 believed to be peculiarly fertile, the nutri- 

 ment being all concentrated in the parts 

 which remain. There is, likewise, a variety 

 in which the number of spurs is increased. 



The violet has all the four circles of parts, 

 and none multiplied so as to exceed the 

 characteristic number of the class to which 

 it belongs, which is five ; the inner circle 

 has, indeed, only three parts. In the ex- 

 terior or calyx circle, we may easily notice that 

 three of the pieces stand a little outside the 

 other two. To these three principal sepals 

 (to make use of the very convenient botanical 

 name of the parts of the exterior circle, which, 

 as a whole, is called the calyx, or cup) the 

 three carpels correspond ; and we must con- 

 sider the two other pieces of the complete 

 circle as being suppressed from their interior 

 position, and the pressure of the exterior 

 circles, which causes the three carpels to 

 unite by their edges into one seed-vessel. 



The sepals are distinct, and but slightly 

 irregular in position and magnitude, resem- 

 bling small, narrow leaves, and having eacli 

 of them a leafy appendage at the bottom, 

 which is characteristic of the family. The 

 five petals stand all distinct ; the one which, 

 from the position of the flower, is the lowest, 

 receiving the greatest share of nutriment, 

 and being in consequence marked with more 

 color on the nerves, and lengthened out into 

 a hollow spur behind. The stamens are 

 broad below ; the anther cases open inwards, 

 and they are crested at the top. The same 

 irregularity which causes the lower petal to 

 enlarge into a spur, causes each of the two 

 stamens nearest to it to send down little 

 spurs, which enter that formed by the petal. 

 These are curious, and are perhaps generally 

 overlooked. The irregularity in the violet 

 tribe is slight, chiefly affecting the circle of 

 petals, and by no means extending to all the 

 species. 



Where several carpels unite to form one 

 seed vessel, it is much the most common for 

 each one to be folded on itself, like a pea- 

 pod, which is one carpel ; and for the whole 

 number to cling together by their broad 

 surfaces, so that all the seeds, which are 

 always on the edges of the carpels, are 

 brought together in the axis ; and the whole 

 seed-vessel, when cut horizontally, shows as 

 many distinct cells as there are carpels, each 

 having its own seeds. The carpels of the 

 violet only join by their edges, so that the 

 whole seed-vessel is but one cell, and the 

 seeds are not found in the axis, but, so to 

 speak, in the walls of the seed-vessel on three 

 lines, where the carpels unite. The union of 

 the carpels is so complete, that when the 



seed-vessel dries, and must open, the split is 

 down the middle of each carpel, instead of 

 on the lines of junction ; and thus, when the 

 ripe capsule has opened into three pieces, 

 called valves, we see the seeds in a line down 

 the middle of each, instead of on the two 

 edges of each, according to their natural 

 position. On carefully opening the little 

 seed, we find a straight embryon in the axis 

 of a fleshy albumen. 



Every one is acquainted with the heart- 

 shaped leaves of the violet, nearly free from 

 hairs, with their margins cut in the manner 

 that botanists call crenate (the portions of 

 the edge being rounded) ; standing on long 

 footstalks, and with small, sharp, mem- 

 branous additional leaves, of the kind called 

 stipules, at their base. The sweet violet is 

 distinguished by not having a branched leafy 

 stem, and by producing runners that form 

 new plants, like the strawberry. 



The received botanical name of the sweet 

 violet is Viola odorata (scented violet). 

 Besides the heartsease, or pansy, which has 

 plainly the characters of a violet, and belongs 

 to the genus, there are several wilrl British 

 species, and three or four very desirable 

 cultivated ones ; not to refer to the many 

 little known in this country, the whole genus 

 in 1824 having above 100 species, published 

 in De Candolle's great work ; but none of 

 them can rival the sweet violet. Who has 

 not delightful recollections of violet hunting 

 excursions in opening spring — sweet memo- 

 ries of fragrant banks rewarding adventurous 

 search — and of treasures of perfumed love- 

 liness conveyed to dear ones at home, who 

 could not partake in the chase ? We hardly 

 know whether the white or the purple variety 

 is most to be admired. As they modestly 

 peep from beneath the shelter of their 

 clustered leaves, their sweet breath first 

 betraying them to the passer-by, both are 

 irresistible in their charms. In our gardens 

 we delight in the double varieties, and of 

 late years we have added to them the ever- 

 blooming sort already referred to, by means 

 of which the metropolis is supplied with 

 sweet bouquets at every season. 



We need hardly say that the name Violet 

 is a diminutive form from the Latin Viola, 

 which originally belonged to the species of 

 which we are speaking, and is extended as 

 the botanical name for the family, of which 

 it is the most interesting member. Some 

 have derived viola from the Latin name for 

 a way — via; as if it meant "way-side 

 flower ;" but it is manifestly the Latin form 

 of the Greek name ion, which is supposed to 

 express the dark purple of the flower. Many 

 words, transferred from Greek to Latin, 

 which, in their original language begin with 

 a vowel, commence in Latin with the semi- 

 consonant v ; and in giving the name its 



