VIOLA Linnoei Gen. PL SyngenesIa Monogamia.
CaAjspentaphyllus. Corolla pentapetala, irregularis; poilice comma. Cappalà
iupra, trivalvis, umlocularls.
Raii Synop. Gen. 24. Herbæ pentapetalæ vasculiferæ,
VIOLA hirta acaulis, foliis petiolifque hirfutis, bractæis infra medium pedunculi.
VIOLA hirta acaulis, foliis cordatis pilofo hifpidis. Linn. Syft. Vegetal. p. 668;
VIOLA acaulis, foliis cordatis hifpidis. Haller hiß. helv. n. 559;
VIOLA hirta. Hudfon Fl. Angl. p. 330. U
VIOLA martia major hirfuta inodora. Hiß. ox. II. 475,
VIOLA trachelii folio vulgo. Ran hiß. 1051. Syn. p. 365. Violet with Throat-wort leaves.
Leans the fimilartty betwixt this Species and the Viola odorata, that to defcribe it in the fame manner as
J that plant, would-be to repeat nearly the fame words. To avoid this fameiiefs o f expreffion Ilhall
defer,ption m the way of contrail which will enable me to point out the differences of each M
ore linking, and I hope equally fatisfafiory to my botanic readers.
»«Id firll premife, that as it is my greateft wilh to clear up every difficulty refpeBing the fpecies and varieties
It plants which come properly before me ; fo I have with that view, not only examined! this plant with the
In attention, where .,t has grown wild, but alfo cultivated it in my garden along with th e ir fo ifa a n d
I feeing and noticing its mode o f growth throughout the year, have perhaps been able to obtain a clearer
jf its hillory, than thofe who may have viewed it at one particular feafon only.
Uwl?,odorata throws out from the upper part of its root a'number of ftolones or ffioots, which trail on
found and quickly take root at the joints, whereby .it propagates, itfelf very fall: IB— I
F f f by, thr° T S T y0“ ng,ftalksj but then they ar£ not procumbent, nor do th y e v S r ik e mot
f of f e i l K ■’ hen.ce ^ r t a does not increafe fo fall, nor fpread fo wide. Although L in^ us
•aconr.den.ble difference ,n the form of the roots of thefe plants, yet from what I have obfefved th”s dff-
proceeds chiefly from the age of the.roots ; for in both fpecies, the older they are, the more full’ are thev
ercles or cicatrices, formed by the annual ffiedding o f the leaves 7 they
Jfffgg stipule are lanceolate and ferrated in both fpecies.
§ of the l& H fdi™ the “ »» obvious difference ; in the odorata they are nearly fmooth -
PUtS ° n a kind ° f filVery aPPearanCC I the plants of
B U M themjelves, the difference is, for the moll part, not very remarkable, for in both fpecies thev are
khlrfute underneath ; thofe of the hirta however, are fometimes remarkably fo, from growing in parti
W i ï È m the ‘f r s, of the W S t have a more g1^ ) ’ appearance on their upper furface bitthis
f e ” hT r Unlefs th,ey are, “ ntrafled- With refpeft to Siape and fize likewiL the diference ,s
t L lous,’ botk Ppecies wben m bloom are {mall, compared to the fize to which they afterwards grow
}e they are lomewhat longer, and not fo perfeflly heart-fhaped. 7 anerwaras grow-
111nSL®^-1 •5f itrhlS, l i a™’ whi,ch 1 have examined, I could not perceive that fenfible difference which
Krtainlv are e h t s f w l i t f ’/ ar?5 al,L b 4S3-) ln ‘be fhape of the Peduncle above the BraEeie ; in both fpecies
f c whi h M at the ba,ck ; Vn the fifl,ation .of the Braaea=. however, there is a very confiderable
U nHmSh W 11 aPPear “ have be™ ‘ akeu notice of; and this Teemed to me to be fo obvious a chat
ie middle of .hi cP° ° g,Ze aIter“ g lts fpecific defcnption : in the odorata, the Braflem are placed
M B B K C I ®ca? us- ?r Peduncle ; in the hirta, they are fitnate below it : but there is one c E n
Hre FuUv obPeIvad refpeEing this charafter, viz. that the BraEeae of each be obferved, juft when the
Lser hv y.expanded, for as that part of the Scapus, which is fituated above the BraEeae grows confider
M M i of * e odorata 'are faded, fo they fhould both be M H t
II ’ uler'vlIe ‘his duticilon will not appear fo remarkable.
i f nerai- aPPear akput 1 week later than thofe o f the odorata, are o f a paler blue
L e t cam of h f n-r ■ t ftugttuee which renders the odorata fo grateful a harbinger o f the Spring.
1 «tiki manner ; f™.a ' ficaUon. thefe plants are very fimilar to each other; but there is one circumftanfe is in his hey Po°dUur and d!fper[e lo Eil feeds' which may not be generally known,
lit furnilhed frith P» 1that th,f flowers which the Viola mirabilis firft produces from the
jW O M c - h ‘tthefefor the moil part are barren, while thofe which blow later the fame
| ‘C V L T ? e/ alk’ uhhough deftitute of Petals, produce perfeE feed : and jA CQu iN n Ws excel!
bW erC 1 rS pf'ar 3 ®gured rval. 1. pi. 19.J confirms § j truth of L inn eus's
*»s,inhisdvalL’blehirea^rbabrennefS0fi h0k rfl0Wer, aPPreared t0 anfe from a deficiency of the Stylus,
fit, are f u r X d / flo" ,,ers B Viola montana, wlich
fertile ■ and T fi I ’ but 1 j thof? wI?lch are afterwards produced have no Petals, yet never-
«icularly’ the liner mP fated e,xaI?!natlon> K the,cafe with the Viola odorata and hirta, but
both with aid f i t , p y f? m'the Y'fh- mirahks ln this refpea, that all the flowers which are
produce perfefl feed. I was led to tfiis difeovery from obferving a Angle
plain in the Snrii Pr° dUCI: ^ ° Ut the mlddlle off ummer, ten or twelve capfirles7o f ripe feeds, on whfch
I thofe perreft blnlpom! ‘f n r'™ ° '' threebloffoms had appeared : the next Spring I difeovered, that
i ‘ ' i l ' i l f t i S firlHpnng up this p ant-con,inues for a month or io r ? to throw on, new
Pi but all die d “ °/ have only lhe ™diments of them, which never appear beyond
neariv r;„°th! r par“ o f lhf &ua,I,cation are perfeE. The capfiiles in both thefe fpecies wh!n
brib, 7 P ’ le dof* t0 ‘ be ground, fo that when they'burll, the feeds have an eafy accefs
h n e i i X f J W'th re(i?e a 10 ‘he foil and fituation in which thefe two plants d e lig h t th e odorata
B a S - l B i under w?™ hedges, and ,n woods; the other appears to be pretty much confined to
i krahle a b S c è ? m° re eXp° fed fituahons '■ ln ‘he heids and on the banks about Charlton, it may