32 HETEROSTYLED DIMORPHIC PLANTS. Chap. I. 



seeds than the long-styled, when both forms are fer- 

 tilised, either naturally or artificially, in a legitimate 



manner. 



In the future chapter, when I treat of the offspring 

 from heterostyled dimorphic and trimorphic plants 

 illegitmately fertilised with their own-form pollen, I 

 shall have occasion to show that with the present 

 species and several others, equal-styled varieties some- 

 times appear. 





Primula elatior, Jacq. 



Bardfield Oxlip of English Authors. 



This plant, as well as the last or Cowslip (P. verts, 

 vel officinalis), and the Primrose (P. vulgaris, vel acau- 

 lis) have been considered by some botanists as varieties 

 of the same species. But they are all three undoubtedly 

 distinct, as will be shown in the next chapter. The 

 present species resembles to a certain extent in general 

 appearance the common oxlip, which is a hybrid be- 

 tween the cowslip and primrose. Primula elatior is 

 found in England only in two or three of the eastern 

 counties; and I was supplied with living plants by Mr. 

 Doubleday, who, as I believe, first called attention to 

 its existence in England. It is common in some parts 

 of the Continent ; and H. Miiller * has seen several 

 kinds of humble-bees and other bees, and Bombylius, 

 visiting the flowers in North Germany. 



The results of my trials on the relative fertility of 

 the two forms, when legitimately and illegitimately 

 fertilised, are given in the table on the next page. 



If we compare the fertilty of the two legitimate 

 unions taken together with that of the two illegitimate 







* ' Die Befruchtung der Blumen,' p. 347. 



