FENTANDRIA. MONOGTNIA. llf 



cla, and a doubtful species as to the genus in the tropical 

 parts of America. 



181. PRIMULA. L, (Primrose. Primevere, or 

 First flower of the Sprin.s;.) 



Flowers in an invohu rate umbell. — Calix tu- 

 bular, 5-tootlied, oersistcnt. Tube of the corol- 

 la cylindi'ic, orifice spreacHn.^, border 5 If bed, 

 lobes einari^inate. Stigma i^l'bose. Capsule 1- 

 celled, summit 10 valvrd. 



Habit as the preceding", but perennial; flowering' early; 

 most of the species alpine, withstandinjj- and thriving- in 

 the most rig'orous climates, to the verv limi's of perp-iual 

 snow. \mong"st these, mure interesting than the rest, is 

 the P. aiiHciila of the Austrian and llelveiic alps, orig-i- 

 nally yelluw, it is now to be seen in gardens of the m-'St 

 diversified colours; the calix and corolla of tins species 

 and the under side of the leaves -n the P.farinosa is sin- 

 gulavly decorated wi h a white and deciduous powder. 



Species. 1. P. mstassmica. 2 *fannosa. l^eaves cre- 

 Jiate, smooih, under side pulverulent, border of the co- 

 rolla flat,— segments obcordute. Smith. Flor. Brit. i. p. 

 2*^)4. (Bird's-eye Primrose.) On the calcareous gravelly 

 shores of the islands of Lake Huron; around Michilimaki- 

 nak, Bols Blanc, and St Helena, in the outlet of Lake Mi- 

 chii^'an: abundant, v. v. sine fi. 



This interesting genus iS almost exclusively confii^ed 

 to the cold or alpine regions of Europe, there are also 3 

 or 4 species in Siberia, and 1 in the Levant. 



182. DODECATHEON. i. (Ameriran Cowslip.) 

 Calix 5-( left. Corolla rotate, reflected, 5-rieft. 

 <S'/amina seated in the tube. <S^%ma obtuse. Cap- 

 sule 1-celled, oblong, opening at tlie apex. 



Leaves radical; scapes umbellate, flowers noding; se- 

 minal receptacle large, ovaie acuminate, stipiiate. 



Species. 1. D. JMeadia. 2. i7iteg'nfolin'm Leaves sub- 

 spaihulate-ovate, short, nearly entire; umbell few-flower- 

 ed; flowers erect; bractes linear; segments of the calix li- 

 near acute. — A much smaller plant than the preceding. 



This genus is peculiar to North America, and extends 

 westward to the mountainous sources of the Missouri, 

 ■where Captain Lewis collected specimens. 



