VIOLET FAMILY. Violacese. 



The commonest violet of all, familiar on 

 Common Violet , . , , . , , , ' 



Viola palmata roac *sides and in nelds. I he leaves deep 

 var. cuculata green, heart-shaped, scallop-toothed, and 

 Light purple somewhat coiled, especially when young. 

 Both stem and leaf are smooth. The flower 

 varies in color from light purple to pale 

 violet ; rarely it is white purple-veined ; the three lower 

 petals are white at the base, and two of these the lateral 

 ones are beautifully fringed or bearded at the throat of 

 the flower. The leaf -stalks are usually a little longer 

 than the flower-sta'lks. 3-7 inches high. In low grounds 

 everywhere, especially in marshes where the flower- 

 stalks exceed those of the leaves, and the flowers are 

 much larger. This species is cross-fertilized mostly by 

 bumblebees, the insect touching the stigma first. 



Arrow-leaved A verv sma11 s P ecies with dee P green, 

 Violet arrow-shaped leaves with blunt points, 



Viola sagittata and scallop-teeth, but the upper part of 

 Light violet j ie i eaves sometimes plain-edged. A 

 April-May ^ . 



slight grayish bloom often characterizes 



the foliage when it is seen en masse. The small flower 

 is light violet or deeper -violet ; its lateral petals are 

 bearded, as are also the upper ones ; the lower petal is 

 veined, and its spur.is short. 2-8 inches high. In wet 

 meadows or dry borders from Me., south to Ga., and 

 west to Minn., Neb., and Tex. It bears late cleistoga- 

 mous flowers. 



, c, , Selkirk's Violet is a rather uncommon, 



Viola Selktrkii ,, , . ,, , 



small, woodland species generally found 



among the hills. The stalks are erect and smooth, the 

 leaves dark green and heart-shaped, deeply lobed at 

 the base. The flowers are pale violet and beardless, 

 with deep spurs. Moist soil, from Me. to Vt. , Mass., 

 and Pa., and westward to Minn. Also in Europe and 

 Asia. 



A small smooth species whose flower- 



StalkS S enerall y exceed those of the leaves > 

 w ^ich are broad heart-shaped and indis- 



May-July tinctly scalloped. Sometimes the leaves 



are kidney-shaped. The small flowers are 



light violet or lilac, with purple veins ; the petals are 

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