VJOLARIEiU. 



95 



and occasionally a few other exotic species, may be met with in our 

 gardens. 



1. Marsh Violet. Viola palustris, Linn. (Fig. 119.) 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 444.) 



The stock occasionally emits runners 

 or scions, like the sweet T 7 "., but it is a 

 smaller plant, and perfectly glabrous, 

 except yery rarely a few hairs on the 

 peduncles. Leaves reniform or orbicular, 

 and cordate at the base, very slightly 

 crenate. Flowers smaller than in the 

 sweet Y., of a pale blue, with purple 

 streaks, and quite scentless ; the sepals -^S* H9. 



obtuse, the spur very short. Stigma broad, oblique. 



In marshy ground and bogs, widely distributed over northern and 

 central Europe, Eussian Asia, and North America. Abundant in 

 Scotland, but decreasing southwards, and quite local in southern Eng- 

 land. Common in some parts of Ireland. Fl. spring and early sum- 

 mer ; the jpetalless flowers in summer. 



2. Sweet Violet. Viola odorata, Linn. (Fig. 120.) 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 619.) 



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 sweet-scented. 

 Sepals obtuse. Spur of the lower petal short, 

 zontal 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 



Fig. 120. 

 Stigma pointed, hori- 



