18 History of Primula 



and the remarkable leaf development have proceeded steadily since its 

 introduction so that now many of the cultivated races are very distinct 

 from the plants introduced about 1 (S21. What we may ask was the earlier 

 history of tho plant under the hands of the Chinese ? Is it too great a 

 step to take to consider that the j)lant found by Henry in the limestone 

 gorges of Ichang is really the original wild typo of this species? I for 

 one, in the light of the history of P. ohconica, am inclined to think that it 

 is not too great, and that we have in this little plant with its lilac flowers 

 the true wild type of the species. Some corroboration seems to me to be 

 given to this view by the variety flore pleno of P. sinejisis. This plant 

 somewhat closely resembles Henry's wild type in foliage and may be 

 considered as offering a parallel to the old-fashioned double white and 

 double lilac primroses which in the ilini past must have been derived 

 from P. acaulis. 



P. sinensis also offers another interesting parallel to P. ohconica in 

 respect of the old double white varietj' since it appears that this arose 

 as a sport about the year 1839 after P. sinensis had been in cultivation 

 about eighteen years. P. ohconica has also yielded a similarly con- 

 stituted double variety as a result of cultivation about twenty years 

 after its introduction. 



Conclusion. 



The conclusion to which one is led from the investigation of the 

 history of P. ohconica under cultivation would therefore appear to be 

 that the amelioration and development in form and colour of the 

 Howers, etc. which have taken place during the past thirty j'ears must 

 be attributed to selective processes. The evidence which has been 

 adduced in support of theories of hybridisation with other species is 

 not sufficiently confirmed by facts to justify its acceptance. 



In view, however, of certain doubtful points and of .some interesting 

 questions as to the influence of foreign pollen in effecting fertilisation 

 it would seem desirable to suspend full judgment until the results 

 of further careful experiments in the fertilisation of P. ohconica witii 

 foriMgn pollen have been obtained. 



