was communicated by Mr. Peete and Mr. David Don from
Dartford Heath: the other, from Epping Forest, was drawn
in 1822, by the late James Sowerby, for Thomas Furley
Forster, whose opinion as to its being distinct coincided
with that of Smith. Whether it be so or not, it is given here
as the plant intended by V. Jlavicornis in the English Flora.
It differs principally from V. canina in size and in the
short, blunt, yellowish spur; but it may also be distinguished
by the short, firm, rigid, very even, heart-shaped, obtuse
leaves, on equally short footstalks; and by the deeper colour
of the corolla. The flower is scarcely ever so large as that
in the specimen from Epping Forest here figured.
On the supposition that V. Jlavicornis may be a species, by
no means intending to decide that it is so, I have ventured
to remove Viola martia alpina folio circinato of Ray from
V. canina, placing it as a variety of this plant, although it is
very difficult to determine what Violet was found by Lhwyd
on Clogwyn y Garnedh above the lake Phynon las, which
was judged by Richardson to be only a variety of V. canina.
Nor is it more easy to discover the meaning of Petiver’s calling
it yellow. At the suggestion of Mr. Borrer, V.pumila
of Villars and DeCandolle is added as a probable synonym.
I take this opportunity of remarking, that DeCandolle has
fallen into an unaccountable error in considering V. lactea
of Smith and V. Ruppii of Allioni as different varieties of
V.montana; whereas these names are synonyms of one
plant, far removed from that species and approaching nearly
to V. canina and V. Jlavicornis.—E. F.