Seeds of P. obtusifolia were sent to Kew from Sikkim 

 by Dr. King, which flowered in a cool pit in June of the 

 present year. The species is a native of the alpine region 

 of the Himalaya throughout its length, from the Sutlej 

 river to Bhotan. In Sikkim it is confined to elevations 

 of 11,000 to 14,000 feet, and there abundant, flowering in 

 May and June. 



Descr. Bootstoch stout, clothed with broad fleshy sheath- 

 ing scales. Leaves very variable, two to five inches long ; 

 in extreme forms some are ovate-cordate and petioled, 

 others have the blade so narrow, and so narrowed into the 

 petiole, that the whole organ is very narrowly spathulate, 

 tip usually obtuse, undersurface naked or mealy, nerves 

 prominent and reticulate. Scape six to ten inches, stout 

 or slender, usually brownish-green ; inflorescence naked or 

 more or less mealy ; bracts a quarter to a third of an inch 

 long, ovate or subulate, free or connate at the base. Calyx 

 campanulate, cupular in fruit, cleft to the middle, lobes 

 ovate or oblong and subacute, or broadly oblong with 

 rounded tips, dark brown when not mealy. Corolla claret 

 or almost port-wine coloured, rarely yellow ; tube about 

 twice as long as the calyx ; mouth narrow, thickened, 

 orange-yellow ; lobes broadly obcordate, flat, spreading, 

 obscurely crenulate. Ovary subglobose, tip not rounded 

 nor thickened. Capsule globose, shorter than the calyx. 

 Seeds papillose. — J. D. H. 



Fig. 1, Calvx ; 2, corolla laid open ; 3, ovary : — all enlarged. 



