NAT, ORDER. — PRIMULACE^. 29 



times folded as well as notclied, stronger, of a deeper green, not 

 running so tapering at the base, covered on the under side with 

 shorter and softer hairs ; the petioles smoother, whitish, with scarcely 

 any red in them ; the scapes few, three or four times longer than the 

 leaves, round, upright, pale, villose ; the involucre at the base of the 

 umbel, surrounding the peduncles, consisting of many very small, 

 concave, pale, acuminate leaflets ; the flowers are in an umbel, une- 

 qually-pedicelled, hanging down, generally to one side, full yellow, 

 with an orange-colored blotch at the base of each segment, contracted 

 about the middle of the tube, where the stamens are inserted, paler 

 underneath, very fragrant. It is a native of Europe and the United 

 States. 



The fragrant flowers of this plant make a pleasant wine, ap- 

 proaching in flavor to the muscadel wines of the south of France, 

 and is generally supposed to possess a somniferous quality. 



Primula far inosa — Bird's-eye Primrose. This species has a 

 perennial root, somewhat prajmose, with numerous long, perpendic- 

 ular fibres, and sweet-scented ; the leaves obovate-lanceolate, bright 

 green, smooth and even, thickish, here and there turned back on the 

 edges, underneath veined and powdered with white meal ; the scape 

 is about six inches in height, far exceeding the leaves, round, upright, 

 stiff, and straight, of a pale green color, and mealy ; flowers sweet- 

 scented, of a purple yellow color, in an upright umbel, having at its 

 base a many-leaved involucre, each leaflet of which is awl-shaped, 

 and placed at the base of each peduncle. It is an elegant plant, and 

 a native of the United States and many parts of Europe. It flow- 

 ers in July and August. 



This plant varies greatly in point of size, in regard to its wild 

 or uncultivated state ; wild it is found a foot and a half in height, 

 and in the cultivated plant a tendency to become vivaporous, which 

 has been observed by Curtis, or to produce one or more tufts 

 of leaves among the flowers of the umbel. In its wild state 

 seeds readily, and frequently when cultivated ; the flowers also 



