54 THE VIOLET FAMILY. [ Viola. 
V. odorata. 
Flowers sweet-scented. Lateral scions creeping ee. ern: ( 
Flowers scentless. No creeping scions. Leaves very hairy . 3. V. hirta. — 
. Sepals acute. No creeping scions. Leaves pubescent 4, V. arenaria. 
Sepals acute. Annual flowering branches more or less elongated. 
Stipules narrow, entire, ciliate or toothed. Stigma hooked and 
pointed . : 4 ; : : : : : : : . 5. V. canina. 
Stipules deeply divided. Stigma thickened, with a tuft of hairs 
below it . - . ; . ; : . 6. V. tricolor. 
The V. calcarata from the Alps, the V. cornuta from the Pyrenees, and 
occasionally a few other exotic species, may be met with in our gardens, 
and from some of them, especially V. cornuta, many showy varieties have 
been produced. 
1, V. palustris, Linn. (fig. 120). Marsh Violet.—The stock occa- 
sionally emits runners or scions, like V. odorata, but it is a smaller plant, 
and perfectly glabrous, except very rarely a few hairs on the peduncles. 
Leaves reniform or orbicular, and cordate at the base, very slightly crenate. 
Flowers smaller than in the V. odorata, of a pale blue, with purple streaks, 
and quite scentless ; the sepals obtuse, the spur very short. Stigma broad, 
oblique. : 
In marshy grounds and bogs, widely distributed over northern and cen- 
tral Europe, Russian Asia, and North America. Abundant in Scotland, 
but decreasing southwards, and quite local in southern England. Common 
in some parts of Ireland, Fl. spring and early summer; the petalless 
Howers in summer. | 
2. V. odorata, Linn. (fig. 121). Sweet Violet——Perennial stock short, 
but sometimes branched, knotted with the remains of the old leaf-stalks 
and stipules, and usually emitting creeping runners or scions. Leaves in 
radical (or rather, terminal) tufts, broadly cordate, rounded at the top, and 
crenate, downy or shortly hairy, with rather long stalks. Stipules narrow- 
lanceolate or linear, and entire. Peduncles about as long as the leaf-stalks, 
With a pair of small bracts about halfway up. Flowers nodding, of the 
bluish-purple colour named after them, or white, more or less scented. 
Sepals obtuse. Spur of the lower petal short. Stigma pointed, horizontal 
or turned downwards. 
On banks, under hedges, in woods, and on the borders of meadows, 
widely spread over Europe and Russian Asia, extending northward to 
southern Sweden. Common in many parts of Britain, although here and 
there large districts are without it, and only a doubtful native of Ireland. 
Fil, early spring, or some garden varieties in autumn: the small petalless 
flowers that produce the seeds may be seen nearly all summer. Some con- 
tinental botanists distinguish several species from minute differences in the 
shape and hairs of the petals. | 
V. hirta, Linn. (fig. 122). Hairy Violet—vVery near V. odorata, and 
most probably a mere variety, seldom producing runners, more hairy in all 
its parts, with narrower and less obtuse leaves, and scentless flowers. 
Chiefly in limestone districts, in rocky places, open woods, and pastures, 
with a more extended area than V. odorata, penetrating further north in 
Scandinavia, and yet more common in southern Europe to the Caucasus. 
Appears more frequent in eastern Britain, and less so in the west than V. 
odorata, very rare in Ireland, Fv. rather later than V. odorata, [V. 
calcarea, Bab., is a stunted form from very dry places in England.] 
4, V.arenaria, Dec. (fig. 123). Sand Violet.—A small, tufted, 
