94 THE VIOLET FAMILY. 



IX. THE VIOLET FAMILY. VIOLARIE^. 



A family limited in Europe to the single genus Violet, The ex- 

 otic genera associated with it agree with it in their 5 sepals and 

 petals, their 5 anthers placed on the inner surface of the short, 

 broad filaments, and their 1-celled ovary with three parietal pla- 

 centas. They are chiefly tropical, and many are trees or shrubs, 

 with small, almost regular flowers. 



I. VIOLET. YIOLA. 



Low annuals or perennials, with stipulate, radical, or alternate leaves, 

 and (in the British species) axillary or radical 1-flowered peduncles. 

 Sepals 5, produced at the base beyond their insertion. Corolla irre- 

 gular, of 5 spreading petals, the lowest produced into a spur at the 

 base. Stamens 5, the filaments very short and broad, bearing the 

 anthers on their inner surface, and more or less cohering in a ring 

 round the ovary, the two lower ones lengthened into a short spur 

 at the base. Style single, with a dilated or thickened or hooked stigma. 

 Ovary 1-celled, with several ovules inserted on 3 parietal placentas. 

 Fruit a capsule, opening in 3 valves, which become folded lengthwise 

 so as to clasp tightly the shining seeds. 



A considerable genus, widely spread over the greater part of the 

 globe, and readily distinguished by the stamens and spurred flowers 

 from all British Polypetals except Balsam, which is at once known by 

 the number and shape of the sepals and petals. In all the British 

 species, except the Tansy, the showy, perfect flowers seldom set their 

 fruits. The capsules and seeds are generally produced by minute 

 flowers, almost without petals or stamens, which appear later in the 

 year 



Sepals obtuse. Flowers and leaves apparently radical. Stem 

 very short. 



Leaves glabrous, reniform. Flowers small, scentless ... 1. Marsh V. 

 Leaves more or less downy or hairy. 



Flowers sweet-scented. Lateral scions creeping .... 2. Sweet V. 

 Flowers scentless. No creeping scions. Leaves very hairy 3. Hairy V. 

 Sepals acute. Annual flowering branches more or less elongated. 

 Stipules narrow, entire, ciliate or toothed. Stigma hooked 



and pointed 4. Dog V. 



Stipules deeply divided. Stigma thickened, with a tuft of 



hairs below it 5. Pansy V, 



The V. calcarata from the Alps, the V. cornuta from the Pyrenees, 



