ON THE RANGE OF THE PRIMROSE (PRIMULA 

 VULGARIS) AND THE BARDFIELD OXLIP 

 (R ELATIOR) IN NORTH-WESTERN ESSEX. 



By J. FRENCH ; with remarks by MILLER CHRISTY, F.L.S. 

 [Read March 2 1st, iSgi.\ 



npHERE is a singularity affecting the distribution of these two 

 species in the above-named locahty which is worthy of note. 

 The primrose grows very rarely, if at all, in the region occupied by 

 the Bardfield Oxlip, and the southern limit, at least of the latter 

 species, is very sharply defined. 



The northern limit of the primrose and the southern limit of the 

 Bardfield Oxlip can be traced at least twelve miles, the same line 

 appearing to define both areas. This line runs nearly due east and 

 west and lies a little to the north of the high road (the old Roman road) 

 from Braintree to Bishop's Stortford. Perhaps it is in no case more 

 than three miles to the north of that road throughout the whole of 

 the distance from Braintree to Takeley, some sixteen miles. These 

 two closely allied species have no debatable borderland that I am 

 aware of throughout that line ; for both species are scarce, if not 

 altogether absent, in places along the margin of either area. It is 

 very general to have to step over some three miles for the change 

 from flora to flora. The cowslip (P. veris) is common to both 

 areas, and seems to be equally distributed in both. 



In the case of the Bardfield Oxlip and primrose, the growth of 

 one species is not really inimical to the growth of the other ; for 

 both species grow side by side in cottage-gardens. These cottage- 

 garden plants also show that variations in soil have not influenced 

 the distribution of the Bardfield Oxlip, for it flourishes equally well in 

 bog, in alluvial and upland clays, in woods, and in garden soil. At 

 Oreat Bardfield, the oxlip principally affects wet meadows by the 

 river-side and is perhaps driven there also as to a fastness. The 

 primrose, too, will suffer a large variety of soil without abating its 

 vigour. 



Both species ripen their seeds readily in gardens ; but they do 

 not appear to do so to the same extent when growing wild. I think 

 scarcely one per cent, of primrose blooms develop seed in a state of 

 nature. This would seem to point to the absence of fertilising 



