Viola canina. 
VIOLA Linnai Gen. Pi. Syngenesia Monogamia. 
Calyx pentaphyllus. Corolla pentapetala, irregularis, poftice cornuta. Capfula 
fupera, trivalvis, unilocularis. 
Raii Syn. Gen. 24. Herba: pentapetala vasculieer.®. 
VIOLA canina , caule adultiore adfcendente, foliis oblongo-cordatis. Linnai Syjl. Vegetal, p. 668. 
VIOLA caule procumbente, ramofo, foliis petiolatis cordatis. Haller hijl. helv. n. 563. 
VIOLA canina. Scopoli FI. Carniol. n. 1098. 
VIOLA martia inodora fylveftris. Bauhin. pin. p. 364. 
VIOLA canina fylveftris. Ger. emac. 851. 
VIOLA fylveftris. Parkinfon 755.. Raii Syn. p. 364, Wild or Dogs Violet. Viola canina minor, 
Raii Syn. 364. t. 24. Jig. 1. Hudfon FI. Angl. p. 331. 
RADIX perennis, craflitie pennze coracis, obliqua, fi- 
bras longiufculas, tenaces dimittens, luperne 
fubdentatus ex reliquiis petiolorum. 
CAULIS fuberejftus, triuncialis, fubangulofus, Ia vis, 
folia Jlorefque ferens. 
FOLIA cordata, laevia, crenata, fubtus fiepe purpuraf- 
centia, fuperiora oblongo cordata. 
STIPULAE caulinae lanceolate, pilis rigidiufculis cilia- 
PEDUNCULUS tetragonus, braCtasis duabus fetaceis ; 
inftruCtus. 
FLOS purpureus, inodorus, majufculus. i 
CALYX : Perianthium pentaphyllum, foliolis lan- ; 
ceolatis, acuminatis, nervofis, bafi dentatis ; ; 
tribus fuperioribus fuperne tuberculofis, api- • 
cibus recurvatis, duobus inferioribus longiori- ; 
bus, fig. I. ; 
COROLLA, ut ut Stamina cum Piftillo, a duabus fpe- j 
cibus jam defcriptis (vid. odorata et hirta) ■ 
vix difcrepant, petala lateralia bafi barbata ; 
funt, jig. 2, petalumque inferius ad bafin li- : 
neis faturate purpureis pingitur. 
CAPSULA oblonga, trigona, trivalvis, valvulis cym- 
biformibus, fig. 3. 
SEMINA plurima, glabra, pallida, flavefcentia, in 
finguH valvula, 7, 9, fig. 4. 
ROOT perennial, about the thicknefs of a crow quill, 
oblique, fending down fome longifti fibres of 
a toughilh fubftance, on the upper part lo:ne- 
what toothed or knobbed, from the remains 
of the leaf ftalks. 
STALK nearly upright, about three inches high, fome- 
what angular, fmooth , bearing both leaves* and 
flowers. 
LEAVES heart-fliaped, fmooth, crenated, and often- 
times purplilh underneath.; the upper leaves 
of a longer lhape. 
STIPULAE of the ftalk lanceolate, and edged with 
. ftiffilh hairs. 
; FLOWER-STALK fquare, furnilhed with two nar- 
row pointed floral-leaves. 
. FLOWERS purple, fcentlefs, and rather large. 
/CALYX: a Perianthium of five leaves, which are 
lanceolate, pointed, rib’d, and indented at 
the bale ; the three uppermoft a little uneven 
on their upper furface, the points bending 
upward ; the two lowermoft longer, fig. 1. 
; COROLLA, as well as the Stamina and Piftillum, 
differ very little from the two fpecies already 
; defcribed, (viz. the fweet-fcented and hairy) 
having the lateral petals, bearded at the bafe, 
fig. 2 ; and the bafe of the lowermoft petal, 
painted with deep purple lines. 
; CAPSULE oblong, three cornered, having three 
valves, which are boat-fhaped, fig. 3. 
; SEEDS numerous, fmooth, of a pale yellowifh colour, 
in each valve 7 or 9, fig. 4. 
THE Dog Violet differs from the Sweet Violet in many particulars; the chief of which are, 
Firfi, The flowers have no fmell. 
Second, The flowers grow on foot-ftalks which fpring from the ftalk, and not the root, and are in general of 
a larger fize. 
‘Third, The ftipulse, next the root and on the ftalk, are very ftrongly edged with ftiff hairs. 
Fourth, The fegments, or leaves of the calyx, are pointed. 
Fifth, The feed-veflel is oblong and three corner’d. 
It differs from the hairy Violet alfo, in all thefe refpe&s except the firft. 
The fame peculiar circumftance of producing feed during the fummer months, without any expanded corolla, 
takes place alfo in this fpecies. . 
It grows with us in greater abundance than either the Viola odorata or hrta , in our woods, and under hedges ; 
and begins to flower in April, when both the others are going out of bloom. 
It varies in colour, being fometimes found with white blofloms ; in fize alfo, according to the expofed or Ihel- 
tered fituation in which it grows, it differs very much : and there is little doubt, but the Violet reprefented in 
Ray’s Synopfis, pi. 24, fig. 1, is the Viola Canina in its fmall ftate, though the figure be imperfeCt as to its 
characters. 
Haller obferves, that thofe who coiled Violet blofloms for making the fyrup, are apt to fubftitute this fpecies : 
but this cannot often happen : lhould thefe flowers alone be expofed for fale, they may be detected by their want 
of fmell ; lhould they be mixed with a few of the fweet ones, they may be difcovered by the pointed lhape of the 
leaves of the calyx. 
