Part 12

Sometimes the lavender facing of the petals is betrayed by a faint tinge of the color showing through their thin texture. This is an odorous Violet, and particularly pretty, with a kindly habit of blossoming a second time in the late summer,--a not uncommon custom in the family, but followed by no other member with such regularity and generosity of bloom.

*Running Violet.* Viola canina, var. Muhlenbergii. *Dog Violet.*

Found in May and June in light woods and along shady roads.

The small, round, leafy stems, from 3 to 7 inches high, are at first upright, but later send out creeping branches; they are smooth, and pale green.

The small leaf is rounding, and heart-shaped at the base, sometimes slightly pointed at the tip; the margin is faintly notched, the surface smooth, and the color light yellowish-green. The leaves, on short stems, are arranged in pairs, with long-pointed wings at the joint.

The flower is small; its spur rather long, the two side-petals bearded, and the color of the corolla pale violet, running into white at the base of the petals, the lower one being marked with fine lines of dark Violet; the tips of the stamens are orange; the 5-parted calyx light green. The flowers are set on slender pale green stems, and rise from the angles of the leaves.

This charming and profusely flowering Violet is invidiously nicknamed “Dog” by the English, because it is scentless.

*Common Blue Violet.* Viola palmata, var. cucullata. *Meadow Violet.*

Found in meadows and roadsides, among the grass everywhere, in May and June.

The leaf and flower stems vary in height from 3 to 6 or 7 inches.

The large heart-shaped leaf (1 or 2 inches wide at the base) is strongly ribbed, minutely hairy, and cut in rounded scallops along its margin; full green in color. The stem is half-round, and grooved on its flat side.

The 5 petals and the spur of the flower are variable in color from dark to light (rarely white), from blue- to red-violet; the bearded side-petals and the lower petal are white at the base. The flower-stem is long, slender and smooth.

“The flower-stems are the length of the leaf-stems usually, or a little shorter, and the blossoms appear in the midst of the rich green foliage. In the new growths the lower edges of the leaves at the base are rolled inwards.

“This violet was taken from N. America to England in 1762, and in some English botanies is called V. obliqua.”--Sir D. Wooster.

*Sand Violet.* Viola pedata. *Bird-Foot Violet.*

Found in May (later than the Meadow Violet) on dry banks and gravelly soil.

The leaves and flowers rise from the root on slender stems.

The leaf is deeply divided into 3 or 5 narrow and long parts, which are sometimes again cleft into 2 or 3 segments; the middle parts are notched by 2 or 3 rounding scallops, the side parts being shorter, with taper-pointed tips; the ribs show obscurely, the texture is thickish, and the surface is dull above and shining underneath; the color is a dull green. The leaves, on half-rounding stems, that are a darker-hued green than the leaves, spread widely. The early spring leaves are less often divided.

This is the largest of the Violet flowers, with 5 flat petals, the upper ones curling backwards on the stem, and a small, very flat spur; the texture is fine and close, and the color varies from deep red-violet to pale lavender, with a dash of white at the base of the lower petals, just beneath the green-tipped pistil, and dry tawny-orange stamens; the 5-parted calyx is pale green. The flowers are set on large shining, smooth stems, which bear a little pair of wings near the ground.

The Bird-Foot Violet flower does not droop, or nod, but holds itself out at an angle almost parallel with the stem; its bud shows white, and generally the paler lavender tints prevail in the full-blown flowers. Many folk-names are given this plant, which grows in little clumps and sometimes thickly spreads all over a favorably located sand-barren,--it is often found in burnt-over fields, and stump-lots. Its flowering season is not so long as many others of its family and as observed, it seldom blooms again in the autumn.

PINK FAMILY.

CARYOPHYLLACEÆ.

*Field Chickweed.* Cerastium arvense.

Found in May on dry and sandy banks.

The stalk branches a little for the flowers, and varies in height from 6 to 10 inches; it is rough with hairs, and green.

The small, grass-like leaves are rough-hairy, and green; they are set in pairs, joined about the stalk in a marked cup-like socket; the pairs occur at right angles to each other.

The small flowers commonly have 5 petals apiece, but sometimes the number is scamped and they are contented with 4 instead; each petal is so deeply cleft as to give the appearance of being quite divided; the texture is thin enough to show the veins, the outer surface is glossy, and the color is white; the calyx has as many sharp-pointed divisions as there are petals, and is green; the 10 stamens are pale straw-color. The flowers form little groups on long stems which spring from the angles of the leaves in pairs.

After the manner of the Pinks this nice little plant sets a blossom between the fork of the main stems.