Violet

a well known fragrant flower. The genera are distributed widely throughout the temperate zones and contain about 300 species. They are chiefly perennial herbs of the temperate zones. About forty species are native to the United States and Canada. The flowers are on the plan of five (five sepals, five petals, etc.), with an irregular corolla. The petals are of three different shapes; the lower one spurred. Some violets, particularly viola palmata, have underground flowers which produce large pods of seeds. The proverbial color of the violet is blue, but our most fragrant, delicate species is white, and a number of wood violets are yellow; while in the pansy, the descendant of a small European violet, blues and yellows strive with white in the same flower for predominance. In literature, the discreet violet is the type of modesty. It ranks with the lily and the rose. "To throw a perfume on the violet," is in Shakespeare's judgment to attempt an improvement of the perfect. See Pansy; Perfume