708 



PRIMULACEAE. 



VOL. II. 



i. PRIMULA L. Sp. PI. 142. 1753. 



Perennial scapose herbs, with basal leaves, and small or large white red purple or yellow 

 dimorphous flowers, umbellate, or in involucrate or bracted racemose whorls at the summit 

 of a scape. Calyx tubular, funnelform or campanulate, persistent, often angled, 5-lobed, the 

 lobes imbricated, erect or spreading. Corolla funnelform or salverform, the tube longer 

 than the calyx in our species, the limb 5-cleft, the lobes imbricated, entire, emarginate or 

 2-cleft. Stamens 5, inserted on the tube or at the throat of the corolla, included ; filaments 

 very short ; anthers oblong, obtuse. Ovary superior, globose or ovoid ; ovules numerous, 

 amphitropous ; style filiform; stigma capitate. Capsule oblong, ovoid or globose, S-valved 

 at the summit, many-seeded. Seeds peltate, the testa punctate. [Diminutive of the Latin 

 primus, first, from the early blossoms.] 



About 150 species, mostly of the northern hemisphere, a few in Java and at the Straits of Ma- 

 gellan. Besides the following, some 18 others occur in western and northwestern North America. 

 Type species : Primula veris L. 



Leaves almost always mealy beneath ; scape 4'-! 8' high. 

 Leaves green both sides ; scape i'-6' high. 



Leaves spatulate or obovate, denticulate. 



Leaves oval or lance-ovate, entire. 



1. P.farinosa. 



2. P. mistassinica. 



3. P. egaliksensis. 



i. Primula farinosa L. Bird's-eye or Mealy Primrose. Fig. 3281. 



Primula farinosa L. Sp. PI. 143. 1753. 



Leaves spatulate to obovate or oblong, obtuse at 

 the apex, narrowed or somewhat cuneate at the 

 base, tapering into petioles, or sessile, usually white- 

 pr yellow-mealy beneath at least when young, green 

 above, i'-4' long, 2" -6" wide, the margins crenulate- 

 denticulate; scape 4'-i8' high, 3-2O-flowered ; flow- 

 ers umbellate ; bracts of the involucre acute or 

 acuminate; pedicels 2"-2' long; calyx-lobes acute, 

 often mealy; corolla pink or lilac, usually with a 

 yellowish eye, the tube slightly longer than the 

 calyx, the lobes cuneate, retuse or obcordate, 2"-3" 

 long; capsule narrowly oblong, erect, 2$"-6" long, 

 longer than the calyx. 



Cliffs and shores, Maine and Quebec to Greenland, 

 west to Michigan and Minnesota. Consists of several 

 races. Also in Europe and Asia. Summer. 



2. Primula mistassinica Michx. Mistassini or 

 Dwarf Canadian Primrose. Fig. 3282. 



Primula mistassinica Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. 1 : 124. 1803. 



Similar to the preceding species, but smaller ; scape very 

 slender, i'-6' high. Leaves spatulate to rhombic-ovate 

 or obovate, green on both sides (rarely slightly mealy 

 beneath), denticulate or repand, obtuse at the apex, nar- 

 rowed or cuneate at the base, petioled or sessile, i'-ii' 

 long, i $"-5" wide; flowers 2-8, umbellate; bracts of the 

 involucre acute or acuminate ; pedicels 2" -12" long; corolla 

 pink, or pale purple, with or without a yellow eye, the 

 tube distinctly longer than the calyx ; corolla-lobes obcor- 

 date, iJ"-2$" long; capsule narrowly oblong, erect, 2$"- 

 4" high. 



On wet banks, Maine to Newfoundland, central New York, 

 Michigan and Saskatchewan. Summer. 



