Of the Colorado Biological Associa- 
tion. 
EOITED BY THE SECRETARY. 
NEW MEMBERS. 
(40.) Dr. R W. Shufeldt, Smithsonian 
Institution, Washington, D. C.; and 
Fort Wingate, New Mexico. 
THE VIOLETS OP CUSTER COUNTY. 
Everyone is fond of violets, and is in- 
terested to know where they are found; 
nor need I, in describing the violets of 
Custer county, say what distinguishes 
violets from other plants, they are famli- 
iar to all.- We have found in this county 
five species of the genus Viola, all of 
them near Swift creek— because our re- 
searches have been almost entirety in 
that neighborhood: we shall give the pre- 
cise locality where we found them, hop- 
ing that those who find them elsewhere 
will send us word. First of all, we have 
the yellow-flowered violet (Viola nuttallii) 
more properly a heartsease, named after 
Nuttall, a naturalist who collected in 
Colorado very many years ago. There 
can be no mistaking this, as it has yel- 
low flowers; it grows on a sunny sand 
bank just where the road to the upper 
part of Swift creek strikes the prairie: 
its roots striking down very deeply. We 
found it first in flower on the 6th of May. 
Next, there is the white violet (Viola 
canadensis,) with conspicuous white 
flowers on a tall slender leaf bearing 
stalk, often a foot high. The leaves are 
heart shaped, serrate, and pointed. The 
flowers are often tinged with purple be- 
neath, and a variety is described in which 
they are entirely ptfrple, but we have 
never met with this ourselves, and do 
not think it occurs in Custer county. 
The white violet grows under the quak- 
ing-asps by the side of Swift creek, and 
also on bare ground about the head of 
short creek, always selecting shady pla- 
ces. 
The remaining three have purple 
flowers, but are quite easily distinguish- 
ed by the character of its leaves. The 
first is the dog-violet, (Viola canina var 
sylvestris,) with heart shaped leaves 
on a stalk, as in the white violet, only 
the dog-violet is not so large and more 
trailing than that, besides having cfifler- 
ent colored flowers. It is found about 
the head of Texas creek, and probably 
up to a high altitude in the mountains. 
Viola cucullata is another purple flower- 
ed violet, more resembling the sweet-vio- 
let, and easily known from the dog-violet 
from the fact that the leaves and flowers 
spring from the ground, instead of from 
a common stalk. It grows in clumps 
rather in the open — quite abundantly by 
Swift creek, and sparingly by the side of 
the road near John Burke’s. A variety 
has been found with white flowers, but 
not yet in Custer county; should it be 
discovered it will be distinguished from 
the white violet by the leaves springing 
from the ground. Lastly, the cut-leaved 
violet (Viola delphinifolia) cannot be 
mistaken for any other, because its leaves 
are cut and divided, so as to have some- 
thing the appearance of anemone leaves. 
HO 
