2. V. pedatífida, G. Don. Leaves all palmately or pedately 5–7-parted; divisions 2–3-cleft; lobes linear; otherwise like n. 3. (V. delphinifolia, Nutt.)—Rich prairies, or more often in dry poor land, Ill. to Kan. and Minn.
3. V. palmàta, L. (Common Blue V.) Glabrous to villous-pubescent; early leaves roundish-cordate or reniform and merely crenate, the sides rolled inward when young, the later very various, palmately or pedately or hastately lobed or parted, the segments obovate to linear. (V. cucullata, var. palmata, Gray.)—Moist or dryish, especially sterile, ground; very common.
Var. cucullàta, Gray. Later leaves merely crenate, not lobed. (V. cucullata, Ait.)—Low grounds; common everywhere. Both forms are very variable in the size and shape of the leaves and sepals, and in the size and color of the flowers, which are deep or pale violet-blue or purple, sometimes white or variegated with white.
4. V. sagittàta, Ait. (Arrow-leaved V.) Smoothish or hairy; leaves on short and margined, or the later often on long and naked petioles, varying from oblong-heart-shaped to halberd-shaped, arrow-shaped, oblong-lanceolate or ovate, denticulate, sometimes cut-toothed near the base, the lateral or occasionally all the (rather large purple-blue) petals bearded; spur short and thick; stigma beaked.—Dry or moist sandy places, New Eng. to Minn., and southward. Some forms pass into the last.
[++][++] Rootstocks long and filiform, extensively creeping.
[=] Flowers blue or purple.
5. V. Selkírkii, Pursh. (Great-spurred V.) Small and delicate; the filiform rootstock fibrose-rooted, no runners above ground; smooth, except the round-heart-shaped crenate leaves, which are minutely hairy on the upper surface and have a deep narrowed sinus; spur very large, thickened at the end, almost as long as the beardless pale violet petals.—Damp and shady soil, N. Maine to W. Mass., central N. Y., L. Superior (Robbins), and northward; rare.—Scapes and petioles 1–2´, the leaf ½–1¼´ long, thin; the spur 3´´ long. (Eu.)
6. V. palústris, L. (Marsh V.) Smooth; leaves round-heart-shaped and kidney-form, slightly crenate; flowers (small) pale lilac with purple streaks, nearly beardless; spur very short and obtuse.—Alpine summits of the White Mountains, N. H., and high northward. June. (Eu.)
V. odoràta, L. (Sweet Violet), cultivated in gardens, from Europe, belongs near this group, and is sparingly spontaneous in some places.
[=][=] Flowers white (small, short-spurred), mostly with brown-purple veins; lateral petals bearded or beardless. Species apparently confluent.