33. Viola Odoràta L. English, March, Or Sweet Violet

Fig. 2955

Viola odorata L. Sp. Pl. 934. 1753.

Producing above ground leafy stolons rooting freely at the nodes and bearing numerous cleis-togamous flowers in summer; petioles 2'-5' long; blades broadly ovate or orbicular, rounded or obtuse at the apex, cordate, crenate, 1'-2' wide, finely pubescent; flowers on scapes as long as the leaves or shorter; very fragrant, violet or white, lateral petals usually bearded; style hook-shaped; sepals oblong, mostly obtuse; cleistogamous flowers on slender recurving peduncles, broadly ovoid, angled, pubescent, purple; seeds large, cream-colored.

Native of Europe, often cultivated and occasionally adventive, as are some of its hybrids with allied European species. March-May. Viola chinensis L. {Viola lancifolia Pollard, not Thore), an Asiatic species, is spontaneous in botanical gardens at Washington. D. C. and elsewhere.

34. Viola Nuttàllii Pursh. Nut-Tail's Violet

Fig. 2056

V. Nuttallii Pursh, Fl. Am. Sept. 174. 1814.

Somewhat pubescent, or nearly glabrous; rootstock stout, deep-seated; leaves and petaliferous flowers in spring borne from near the base of short stems; these in summer much lengthened, erect or ascending, bearing cleistogamous flowers on axillary peduncles; blades of the leaves lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, thickish, 1'-3' long, obscurely crenate-dentate or entire, tapering into margined petioles, 2'-6' long; sepals lanceolate or linear, attenuate, 3"-4" long; petals yellow, 4"-7 1/2" long slightly bearded or beardless; capsule subglo-bose or ellipsoid, about 3" long.

On prairies and plains, Manitoba to Montana, south to Kansas and Arizona. Yellow prairie-violet. May.

35. Viola Hastàta Michx. Halberd- Or Spear-Leaved Yellow Violet

Fig. 2957

Viola hastata Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. 2: 149. 1803.

Slightly pubertilent; stem slender, 4-10' high, from a long white brittle horizontal root-stock; stem-leaves 2-4, near the summit, halberd-shaped with rounded basal lobes, narrowly lanceolate above; or sometimes ovate-lanceolate and subcordate; radical leaves occasional, oblong-lanceolate, usually wider and more deeply cordate; all distantly serrulate; corolla yellow, the upper petals often tinged outside with violet; sepals linear-lanceolate, acute; capsules ovoid, glabrous, 4"-5 ' long; stipules ovate, small, often with a few bristly teeth.

In mountain forests or hilly districts, Pennsylvania to Ohio, south to Liberty County, Florida. April-May.

36. Viola Eriocàrpa Schwein. Smoothish Yellow Violet

Fig. 2958

V. eriocarpa Schwein. Am. Journ. Sci. 5: 75. 1822. V. pubescens var. scabriuscula T. & G. Fl. N. A. 1:

142. 1838. V. scabriuscula Schwein.; Britt. & Brown, I11. Fl. 2:

453. 1897.

Glabrous except for minute pubescence on the upper part of the stem and on the lower surface of the leaves along the veins; stems ascending, commonly 2-4 from one rootstock; radical leaves 1-5, long-petioled, the blades ovate to reniform, cordate or truncate, mostly pointed; cauline leaves only on the upper half of the stem, broadly ovate, subcordate, acuminate, the uppermost smaller, truncate, nearly sessile; lateral petals bearded; sepals narrowly lanceolate; capsule ovoid, woolly or sometimes glabrous; seeds brown, a little more than 1" long.

In> low open woods, Nova Scotia to Manitoba, south to Georgia and Texas. Ascends to 4000 ft. in Virginia. April-May.