stands in marked contrast to many of the forms, and 
more especially to those whose home is in Western and 
Southern China, which have been recognised within the 
genus Primula, in exhibiting characters which admit of 
its unqualified recognition. But if there is in this case 
no question as to the claim of our plant to specific rank, 
its position within the genus has been the subject of 
some debate. Professor Pax and his fellow-worker 
Dr. Knuth have treated it as a member of the section 
which includes the familiar P. sinensis, Sabine, already 
figured in this work. Professor Bayley Balfour, how- 
ever, in his more recent scholarly study of the Chinese 
members of this difficult genus has advanced good 
reasons for the view that the Sinenses of Pax and 
Knuth should be regarded rather as an aggregate of 
natural groups or sections, of one of which, the section 
Pycnoloba, the species now described is the type and 
the sole representative. P. pycnoloba thrives well under 
ordinary alpine treatment in a shaded portion of the 
Rock Garden, and so far has not been injured by cold 
at Kew. It can also be successfully grown in pots in 
a cold frame. At Edinburgh, Professor Balfour states, 
it is easily grown if protected from overhead moisture 
when resting ; it spreads rapidly in the soil by means 
of its root-buds, which afford a ready means of propa- 
gation. It may be remarked here that the plant now 
figured suggests that it represents an unusually vigorous 
Strain; at all events it has more numerous flowers and 
rather broader calyx-lobes. 
DeEscriPtion.— Herb, spreading by means of root-buds. 
Leaves broadly cordate or ovate-cordate, up to 6 in, 
across, rather thickly membranous, more or less bullate 
above, with a few scattered white hairs, paler beneath 
and rather closely hirsute with long rather soft white 
hairs on the nerves, 5-nerved from the base, secondary 
nerves from the midrib 4-5 on each side, all excurrent 
and all raised beneath, margin lobulate, the lobules 
rounded and irregularly sparingly denticulate, ciliate ; 
petiole at times rather longer than the blade, at times 
somewhat shorter, downy. Scape up to 8 in. long, 
downy, with a rather close-flowered terminal raceme ; 
