ME. C. DAKWIN OTS SPECIPIC DIFIEEEKCES IN PEIMULA. iSl 



in the third plant a large majority of the grains, were in an aborted 

 condition, whilst in the short-styled P. elatior I could not detect a 

 single bad grain. It may be seen in Table V. that eight long- 

 styled flowers of the Primrose, fertilized by pollen from the long- 

 styled common Oxlip, produced eight capsules, containing, however, 

 only a low average of seeds j but the same number of flowers of 

 the Primrose similarly fertilized by the long-styled Bardfield Ox- 

 lip produced only a single capsule. Prom these various facts it 

 is manifest that P. elatior is not a hybrid, and that it differs fun- 

 damentally from the common Oxlip. 



Finally, although we may feel confident that Primula yeris^ vul- 

 garis^ and elatior as well as the other species of the genus, are all 

 descended, from some primordial form, yet, from the facts which 

 have been given, we may conclude that they are now as fixed in cha- 

 racter as are very many other forms which are universally ranked 

 as species. Consequently they have as good a right to receive 

 distinct specific names as have, for instance, the ass, quagga, and 

 zebra. 



Bu'pplementary Note on some wild htbeid Yeebascums. 



In a previous part of this paper I remarked that hardly any other 

 instance could be given of a hybrid spontaneously arising in such 

 large numbers, over so wide an extent of country, as that of the 

 common Oxlip; but perhaps the number of well-ascertained cases 

 of naturally produced hybrid Willows is equally great*. Nume- 

 rous spontaneous hybrids between several species of Cistus, found 

 near Narbonne, have been carefully described by M. Timbal- 

 Lagrave t, and many hybrids between an Aceras and Orchis have 

 been observed by Dr. Weddell J. In the genus Verbascum, hybrids 

 are supposed to have often originated § in a state of nature ; some 

 of these undoubtedly are hybrids, and several hybrids have origi- 

 nated in gardens ; but most of these cases require ||, as Gartner 

 remarks, verification. Hence the following case is worth recording. 

 I transplanted a young wild plant into my garden for experimental 

 purposes, and when it flowered it plainly differed from the three 

 species of the genus which grow in this neighboiu'hood. I thought 



Max Wicliura, 'Die Bastardbefruchtung der Weiden/ 1865. 



t Mem. de I'Acad. des Sciences de Toulouse, 5* serie, torn. v. p. 28. 



I Annales des Sc. Nat. 3rd series, Bot. torn, iriii. p. 6. 



§ See, for instance, the 'English Flora,' by Sir J. E. Smith, 182t, toL i. 



p. 307. 



U See Gartner, ' Bastarderzeugung/ 1849, p. 590. 



