#
# Identification:
#
#   * Title: "Viola tricolor"
#   * Page: f9v = BB (Rene) = p018 (Stolfi)
#   * Folio: f9
#   * Panels: f9v
#   * Bifolio: bB1 = f9+f16
#   * Quire: B (Rene) = II (Beinecke)
#
# Attributes:
#
#   * Language: A (Currier)
#   * Hand: 1 (Currier)
#   * Subsets: H (Rene), hea (Stolfi)
#   * Subject: herbal
#   * Colors: blue,green (Reeds), blue(top_left_3_leaves,right_2),yellow(other_leaves) (Rene)
#   * Plant: 17 (Petersen)
#
# Description:
#
#   One plant, flush against the right and bottom edges, reaching
#   almost to the top.
#
#     * Root: a bundle of thin wires. Dark overpaint?
#     * Stem: one straight. Light color.
#     * Branches: two symmetrical pairs, oblique.
#     * Leaves: the four lower ones are medium width, lance-shaped,
#       with smooth edges; the others have the same outline but
#       are deeply cut into five narrow points.  Dark color.
#       Stalk: short, mostly missing.
#     * Flowers: five, at the tips of stem and branches.
#       Stalk: medium length, thin. Chalyx: flat or everted, with short
#       triangular sepals, partly hidden by corolla.  Petals: five rounded
#       petals, a large one on top, the others like "arms and legs". Core:
#       very small. Medium and dark colors.
#
#   Two paragraphs (unit µ{P}) with 3.7 and 7.7 lines at the top,
#   left-justified. The first one is right-justified; the second one
#   follows the plant's profile on the right. Both are interrupted in
#   several places by the flowers and leaves.
#
# Comments:
#
#   Petersen identifies this plant, with high confidence, as "Viola
#   trinitalis". (It is misnumbered 15 on his page 1). I coudn't find
#   such species, but "herba trinitatis" is the herbalists' name for
#   Viola tricolor (heartsease,wild pansy) [1,2,3].
#
#   Indeed, comparing f9v with a drawing by Carl Lindman [1], we see
#   an almost perfect match --- including the roots, and the two types
#   of leaves.
#
#   Dennis Mardle [10 Oct 1998] observes that the details match also
#   Viola arvensis (field pansy), which hybridises with V. tricolor
#   and is very similar in shape, including especially the dimorphic
#   leaves [1,4].
#
#   The colors may help resolve this issue. The flowers of Viola
#   tricolor are usually purple and white with yellow core; Lindman's
#   drawing shows V. arvensis as white (or light blue?) with yellow
#   core. Jim Reeds color list [03 Mar 1998] reports some blue on this
#   page, to be confirmed.
#
#   In either case, there is one odd detail: the flowers in f9v are
#   upside-down.  Also the two bottom flowers are somewhat differen.
#
#   Viola tricolor was used internally to treat epilepsy, asthma and
#   bronchitis (whole plant), as an emetic and purgative (seeds) and as
#   a heart tonic (flowers). Externally it was used to treat skin
#   diseases [2].  The flowers are reported to be edible.
#
# References:
#
#   [1] Carl Axel Magnus Lindman
#   Bilder ur Nordens Flora
#   227. A. Styvmorsviol, Viola tricolor L.; B. Åkerviol, Viola arvensis Murr.
#   http://www.lysator.liu.se/runeberg/nordflor/
#   http://www.lysator.liu.se/runeberg/nordflor/227.html 
#
#   [2] Mrs. M. Grieve, F.R.H.S.
#   A Modern Herbal
#   Viola tricolor - Heartsease
#   http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/mgmh.html
#   http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/h/hearts10.html
#
#   [3] ECNC DATABASE: SAXIFRAGA European Flora Slides
#   Viola tricolor ssp. tricolor 
#   http://www.ecnc.nl/doc/ecnc/saxifrag/euroflor.html
#   http://www.ecnc.nl/gif/viotritr.gif
#
#   [4] ECNC DATABASE: SAXIFRAGA European Flora Slides
#   Viola Arvensis Murr.
#   http://www.ecnc.nl/doc/ecnc/saxifrag/euroflor.html
#   http://www.ecnc.nl/gif/vioarv.gif
#
#
# Last edited on 1999-04-15 05:39:16 by stolfi