spear-shape, with two deep
cloven lateral flakes at its springing from the stalk, which, in ordinary
aspect, give the plant the haggled and draggled look I have been vilifying
it for. These, and such as these, "leaflets at the base of other leaves"
(Balfour's Glossary), are called by botanists 'stipules.' I have not
allowed the word yet, and am doubtful of allowing it, because it entirely
confuses the student's sense of the Latin 'stipula' (see above, vol. i.,
chap. viii., Sec. 27) doubly and trebly important in its connection with
'stipulor,' not noticed in that paragraph, but readable in your large
Johnson; we shall have more to say of it when we come to 'straw' itself.

28. In the meantime, one _may_ think of these things as stipulations for
leaves, not fulfilled, or 'stumps' or 'sumphs' of leaves! But I think I can
do better for them. We have already got the idea of _crested_ leaves, (see
vol. i., plate); now, on each side of a knight's crest, from earliest
Etruscan times down to those of the Scalas, the fashion of armour held,
among the nations who wished to make themselves terrible in aspect, of
putting cut plates or 'bracts' of metal, like dragons' wings, on each side
of the crest. I believe the custom never became Norman or English; it is
essentially Greek, Etruscan, or Italian,--the Norman and Dane always
wearing a practical cone (see the coins of Canute), and the Frank or
English knights the severely plain beavered helmet; the Black Prince's at
Canterbury, and Henry V.'s at Westminster, are kept hitherto by the great
fates for us to see. But the Southern knights constantly wore these lateral
dragon's wings; and if I can find their special name, it may perhaps be
substituted with advantage for 'stipule'; but I have not wit enough by me
just now to invent a term.

29. Whatever we call them, the things themselves are, throughout all the
species of violets, developed in the running and weedy varieties, and much
subdued in the beautiful ones; and generally the pansies have them, large,
with spear-shaped central leaves; and the violets small, with heart-shaped
leaves, for more effective decoration of the ground. I now note the
characters of each species in their above given order.

30. I. VIOLA REGINA. Queen Violet. Sweet Violet. 'Viola Odorata,' L., Flora
Danica, and Sowerby. The latter draws it with golden centre and white base
of lower petal; the Flora Danica, all purple. It is sometimes altogether
white. It is