VIOLA TRIPARTITA Ell. Bot. S. C. & Ga. r: 32o. 1817.
Viola hastata var. triparMa A. Gray, Bot. Gaz. 291. 1886.
Perennial by a short rootstock and numerous coarse roots, usually stoutish, puberulent or minutely pilose and glandular above, bright but often deep green. Stems mostly clustered, erect, 1.5-5 dm. tall, usually branched above, often purplish and glabrate below, greenish, glandular, and somewhat glandular near the top; leaves 3-parted or sometimes entire, 4-10 cm. long, their petioles 2-3 cm. long ; stipules ovate, ciliate, 6—S mm. long ; leaf lets usually short-petioled, puberulent, undulate or crenate-serrate, the terminal one lanceolate or oblanceolate, the lateral ones inequilateral lanceolate to ovate; flowers golden yellow, I.2-1.5
cm. broad ; pedicels slender, nearly erect, 3-10 cm. long ; sepals lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, nearly 6 mm. long, 3-ribbed, acute or obtuse, with hyaline ciliolate margins; petals spatulate, about I cm. long, the upper ones recurved, purplish on the back, with one conspicuous black vein, the lateral ones with two black veins and a patch of glands, the lower one with numerous conspicuous black veins ; stigma bearded; capsule oblong, 1-1.2 cm. long, acutish ; seeds pale, obovoid, 3 mm. long.