Dames Violet
DAMES VIOLET, the English name for Hesperis matronalis, a herbaceous plant belonging to the natural order Cruciferae, and closely allied to the wallflower and stock. It has an erect stout leafy stem 2 to 3 ft. high, with irregularly toothed shortstalked leaves and white or lilac flowers, f in. across, which are scented in the evening (hence the name of the genus, from the Gr. eairtpos, evening). The slender pods are constricted between the seeds. Dame's Violet is a native of Europe and temperate Asia, and is found in Britain as an escape from gardens, in meadows and plantations.
Note - this article incorporates content from Encyclopaedia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, (1910-1911)
