Tab. 6956. 

 primula obtusifolia. 



Native of the Himalaya. 



Nat. Ord. Peimulace^;. — Tribe Pbimule^:. 

 Genus Pbimula, Linn.; (Benth. et Hook.f. Gen. PL vol. iii. p. 631.) 



Pbimula obtusifolia ; efarinosa v. foliis subtus et inflorescetitia farinosis, foliis 

 menibranaceis oblongis elliptico-obovatis oblanceolatisve obtusis v. acutis eroso- 

 dentatis rarius integris basi obtusis cordatis v. in petiolum angu^tatis, ncapo 

 plurifloro, bracteis ovatis Janceolatisve pedieellis brevioribus basi liberia v. 

 connatis, calyi-is campanulati lobis tubo subsequilongis v. brevioribus, corolla 

 sanguineo-purpureaj v. flavae lobis planis patentibus obcordatis subcrenulatis 

 tubo longioribus v. asquilongis, ore annulato, tubo ca^ce duplo longiore, ovario 

 globoso acuto vertice non incrassato, capsula globosa cal3'ee inelusa, seminibus 

 subglobosis papillosis. 



P. obtusifolia, Boyle III. PI. Himal.y. 811, tab. 77, fig. 1 ; Duby in DC. Prodr. 

 vol. viii. p. 42; Hook.f. Fl. Brit. lad. vol. iii. p. 489; Watt in Juurn. Linn. 

 Soc. Bot. vol. xx. p. 7. 



As with so many species of Primula, it is not easy to limit 

 the specific characters of this by words, so as to distinguish 

 it from its allies. In some respects it resembles P. prolifera, 

 which is a much larger plant, with superposed whorls of 

 flowers and a long narrow corolla-tube ; and it is still nearer 

 P. elongata. Watt, which has, like P. jyrolifera, a very 

 narrow corolla-tube, and which further differs in the more 

 deeply crenate corolla-lobes and want of a thickened ring 

 at the mouth. P. obtusifolia is remarkable for its usually 

 deep claret-coloured flowers. There are two varieties of 

 it, namely var. Roylei with subentire obovate-spathulate 

 leaves mealy beneath, and var. Griffithii with deeply- 

 toothed ovate-cordate leaves. Our figure represents a 

 form referable to var. Griffithii, but with more oblong 

 leaves. There is in the Kew Herbarium another variety, 

 represented by a single specimen, collected by Dr. Watt in 

 Sikkim, and which in all respects resembles this, except in 

 that the flowers are described as yellow; and in a MS. 

 note on obtusifolia Dr. Watt gives yellow as the colour 

 of its flower. * Royle's figure of P. obtusifolia represents 

 the corolla-tube as much too long and narrow, and its 

 colour as lilac. 



sett. 1st, J 887. 



