Tab. 7£01. 

 primula megase2ef0lia. 



Native of Asia Minor. 



Nat. Ord. Primulacm. — Tribe Pkimule^. 

 Genus Primula, Linn. ; {Benth. & ffook.f. Gen. Plant, vol. ii. p. 631.) 



Primula (Aleuritia) megasesefolia ; rhizomate crasso, foliis amplis 3-5 poll, 

 longis 2-4 latis ovatis ovato-oblongis rotundatisve Bubcordatis obtuaia 

 integerrimis v. remote denticulatis convexis glaberrimis laete viridibus, 

 marginibus'nervisque subtus papilloso-hirtis, nervis nervuliaque reticulati8 

 supra impressis subtus elevatis, petiolis 2-3-pollicaribus scapisque 2-5- 

 pollicaribus robustis hirtis, umbella multiflora 3 poll, diam., iuvolucri 

 foliis £-5 poll, longis lanceolatis acuminatis pedicellisque |-1| poll, longis 

 glaberrimis, calyce J poll, longo paullo inflato teretiusculo 5-costato 

 breviter acute 5-dentato, corolla? roseo-purpurese tubo calyce longiore 

 ore nudo, limbi § poll, lati lobis obcordatis, capsula calyce paullo loDgiore, 

 seminibus glabris angulatis minute tuberetilatis. 



P. megaseaefolia, Boiss. et Bal. in Bal. PI. Pont. Ext. 1866. Bom. Fl. Orient. 

 vol. iv. p. 26. Gard. Ghron. 1901, vol. i. p. 223, fig. 84. 



The very remarkable Primrose here figured has hitherto 

 been found only near Rizeh (or Rhize) in Lazistan, a 

 town on the S.E. shore of the Black Sea, forty miles east 

 of Trebizond, where it was discovered by the famous col- 

 lector, Balansa, growing in gullies at about one thousand 

 feet above the sea. It is referable to the large section 

 Aleuritia, Duby, characterized by the sides of the leaves 

 being revolute in vernation, and it is placed by Boissier, 

 " Flora Orientalis," next to P. grandis, Trautv., an imper- 

 fectly known Transcaucasian species, described as having 

 leaves four inches long and three broad, a scape nearly a 

 foot high, a very large, many-flowered umbel and linear- 

 oblong corolla-lobes. 



The specific name megasesefolia refers to the resem- 

 blance in the foliage to the species of Sadfraga (8. crasti- 

 folia, L., 8. Ugulata, Wall., &c), to which Haworth 

 gav £ fche generic name of Megasea. 



The Royal Gardens, Kew, are indebted to Miss Willmott, 

 of Warley Place, Great Warley, Essex, for the specimen 

 figured, which flowered in a cool house in February of the 

 present year. 



Descr.—Iiootstoch stout, oblique, fibrilliferous. Leaves 

 Junb 1st, 1903. 



