THE VEGETATIVE REPRODUCTION OF 

 PRIMULAS 



the different habits of growth of the Primulas may be 

 conveniently divided into groups; there are, of course, 

 plants that seem to range from one group to another and 

 there are some which it may be difficult to put into any 

 definite section, but as the present grouping is based on 

 features which are relative to propagation it will serve as a 

 comparative guide for treatment. 



First come the definitely stemmed type best illustrated 

 by the Auriculas, the common Primroses, the forms and 

 varieties of P. obconica and P. malacoides, and here it may 

 be convenient to place such plants as the forms of P. Sie- 

 boldii as well as P. Maclareni, as the latter are credited with 

 long creeping stolons. All of these may be propagated by 

 stem cuttings. Recently a test batch of leaves of P. ob- 

 conica produced quantities of roots from the end of the 

 petiole when inserted in the fibre of a warm propagating 

 frame. 



Then there are the tufted types such as P. cachemeriana, 

 P. rosea, P. Normaniana, some of the Capitatas, the many 

 species of the Sikkimensis section and, if one is a good 

 grower of them, the Candelabras, together with species 

 like P. involucrata and its coloured form P. yargongensis 

 {Wardii), and P. elliptic a, all of which can be increased by 

 separating out the crowns into individual plants. 



Next come those best treated as biennials, such as P. 

 scotica, P. nutans, the Muscarioides like P. Littoniana, 

 and those Capitatas that exhaust themselves in seed pro- 

 duction in their second year. For the average grower the 

 Candelabras are often best treated as biennials. 



The mat-forming types are distinctive but few, includ- 

 ing P. eucyclia and P. reptans. These increase in size by 



