Dr Graham's Description of New or Rare Plants. 385. 



Seeds of this plant were received at the Botanic Garden, Edinbui^h, 

 from Van Diemen's Land, through William Henderson, Esq. in Fe- 

 bruary 1829, marked Prussian Shrub. The plant has been treated in 

 the greenhouse in the usual way of New Holland shrubs, and in April 

 last, when about three feet high, it flowered for the first time, every 

 subdivision of its numerous branches bearing upon its apex a crowded 

 bunch of flowers. 



It appears from the Hortus Kewensis that the species was introduced from 

 Van Diemen's Land by Mr Brown in 1805, but it seems to have been 

 afterwards lost. The profusion of flowers with which it is covered, and 

 the continued succession of these during a long while, renders it a very 

 desirable species for cultivation. 



Primula amoeiia. 



P. amoena; foliis spathulato-ublongis, rugosia, crenato-denticulatis, hir- 

 sutiusculis, subtus incano-lanatis ; umbellis multifloris, tomentoso- 

 villosis, involucris subulatis ; calycibus ovato-oblongis, angulatis ; co- 

 roUae limbo piano glabro, tubo calyce vix longiore, coUo hemisphaerico. 



Primula amoena, M. Bieberst. Fl. Taurico.Caucas. 1. 138. — Lehman. IVIon. 



Prim. p. 39. t. 3 Roem. et Schult. Syst. Veget. 4. 13?. — Spreng. Syst. 



Veget. 1. 574. 



Description, — Leaves (3^ inches long, \\ broad) spathulato-oblong, much 

 attenuated towards the base, but scarcely petioled, crenate and denti- 

 culate, slightly hirsute and bright green above, densely covered with 

 white wool below, neatly and regularly rugose ; middle rib and veins 

 very prominent behind, primary veins nearly at right angles to the 

 middle rib and secondary veins, which latter are nearly equidistant, reti- 

 culated at the edge of the leaf. Scape (with the flowers 7 inches high) 

 lateral, erect, tomentoso-villous ; umbel many -flowered, involucre awl- 

 shaped, pedicels erect, unequal (from half an inch to an inch long) pu- 

 bescent. Calyx {A\ lines long) gland uloso- pubescent, pentagonal, ovato- 

 oblong, 5-toothed, angles prominent and green, interstices membranous, 

 diaphanous and purplish. Corolla very handsome, purplish-lilac in bud 

 or recently expanded, more blue after a few days ; tube scarcely longer 

 than the calyx, purple, glabrous, wrinkled ; faux hemispherical, slightly 

 glanduloso-pubescent, and purple on the outside, yellow within ; limb 

 spreading, nearly flat, segments elliptical, emarginate. Anthers nearly 

 sessile in the throat, yellow. Pollen yellow. Germen globular, glabrous, 

 lobed. Style (in the 8j)eciraen described, but, as in allied species, its 

 length probably varies) twice the length of the germen. Stigma large, 

 hemispherical. 



This most desirable addition to the cultivated species of a universally ad- 

 mired genus, was obtained by Mr Neill from Mr Goldie, who brought 

 it from St Petersburgh. It flowered beautifully in the cold-frame at 

 Canonmills in April last, producing an umbel of eighteen perfect flowers. 

 In its native station, the Caucasian Alps, it is described by Marschall 

 Bieberstein, its discoverer, as having an umbel of from three to ten flowers; 

 and a variety is noticed by him, m which the scape is awanting, the 

 pedicels being all radical and single-flowered, — another analogy, if any 

 were wanting, to confirm the opinion that there is no specific distinction 

 between Primula vulgaris and P. ekUioT^ our common Primrose and Ox- 

 lip. 



Syringa Josika?a. 



S, Josikaa ; foliis elliptico-lanccolatis, acutis, ciliatis, rngosis, utrinque 



glabris, supra iuridis, subtus albidis. 

 Syringa Josikcea, Jacquin, in Bot. Zeitung, 1831. 

 Description — Shrub erect ; branches spreading, very slightly warted, 

 twigs purple. Leaves (3 inches long, 1^ inch luDiih t'lliptioo-Uiuoolate, 



VOL. XV. NO. XXX. OCTOBER 1833. i: !) 



