Tas. 8796. 
PRIMULA TIBETICA. 
Eastern Himalaya and Tibet. 
PRIMULACEAE. Tribe PRIMULEAE. 
Priva, Linn.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. ii. p. 631. 
Primula tibetica, Watt in Jowrn. Linn. Soc. vol. xx. p. 6, t. lla (1882) ; 
Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. vol. iii. p. 488 (1882); Pax et Knuth in Engl. 
Pflanzenr.—Primul. p. 78 (1905) ; affinis P. sibiricae, Jacq., sed pedun- 
culis brevioribus pedicellis longioribus et calycis lobis marginibus eglandu- 
losis differt. 
Herba usque ad 15 cm. alta, radicibus numerosissimis gracilibus fibrosis pallide 
stramineis. Jolia radicalia numerosa, longe petiolata, ovato-spatulata, 
apice rotundata, lamina 1-1:5 cm. longa, 0°8-1 cm. lata, chartacea, 
utrinque glabra, pallide viridia, nervis lateralibus circiter 3-4; petiolus 
1-2°5 cm. longus, 1 mm. latus, glaber. Scapi 1-6, efoliati, 2-5-flori, 
glabri ; pedunculi usque ad 7 cm. longi, graciles ; pedicelli erecti, gracillimi, 
usque ad 6 cm. longi; bracteae 3-5, oblongo-lanceolatae, subacutae, 
foliaceae, 6-10 mm. longae, basi conspicue gibbosae. Calyx anguste cam- 
panulatus, 4 mm. longus, corollae tubo vix aequilongus; tubus 2°5 mm. 
longus, glaber; lobi ovato-lanceolati subobtusi dorso viridi-lineati. Corolla 
pallide purpureo-rosea, oculo flavo notata ; tubus 6 mm. longus, cylindricus, 
striatus ; lobi profunde emarginati, in limbum 1°5 cm. diametro expansi. 
Stamina supra medium tubum corollae insertae. Stylus glaber; stigma 
paullo exsertum. Capsula 1°5 cm. longa, straminea, rigide membranacea, 
apice lobis 5 dehiscens.—J. HuTcHINson. 
The charming little Primula here figured was raised at 
Kew from seeds collected by Mr. R. E. Cooper in Bhutan 
in the Eastern Himalaya for Messrs. Bees, Limited, by 
whom their supply was shared with this establishment 
in 1915. The species, which was for the first time 
described as P. tibetica by Sir George Watt in 1882, is a 
native of alpine Sikkim and Bhutan at elevations of 
16-17,000 feet above sea-level, and of the adjacent 
provinces of south-eastern Tibet. It was originally 
discovered by Sir J. D. Hooker, now seventy years ago, 
on the Sikkim frontier of Tibet. It bears a rather close 
resemblance to the more northern P. sibirica, Jacq., in 
which species, however, the scape is usually much longer 
and stouter, while the pedicels are shorter and the. 
January--Marcu, 1919. 
