PRIMULA. 



P. clliptica stands quite close to P. rosea, but its flowers aie purple 

 instead of pink, and its leaves are elliptic on long stalks. It will come 

 to us from Kashmir and Turkestan. 



P. Ellisiae, proclaimed lately as a novelty, is only P. Rusbyi. 



P. elongata is a beautiful yellow-flowered new arrival in our 

 gardens, possibly to be grouped near P. Stuartii, and of similar needs. 



P. Ehccsiana is a glory of the Omphalogrammas ; but, unlike the 

 five other species of that odd group, comes from the mountains of the 

 Chumbi Valley in the Sikkim-Hirnalaya, whereas the rest are all 

 Chinese. From a long stock enclosed in dark membranaceous scales, 

 rises up a tall, stout, and densely hairy stem, well before the leaves, 

 which are long, broadly-oval, leathery, acute and glabrous. The 

 flowers, singly produced, are very large, fringed at the edge and richly 

 violet. P. Elwesiana can now be found in cultivation, but is of slow 

 development, and requires the same conditions as those insisted on by 

 the rest, — PP. Engleri, Franchetii, vincaeflora. Delavayi, and Viola- 

 grand is. 



P. Engleri stands nearest to P. Delavayi, offering the same beauties, 

 and demanding the same conditions. It is hardly distinguished from 

 P. Franchetii, but comes from further North about Tatsien-lu. 



P. erosa is hardly known in cultivation. It is like a very frail 

 P. denticulata, but produces its numerous delicate incurving flower- 

 stalks at the same time as its leaves. These are either smooth or 

 puberulous, toothed with a nibbled-looking effect round their edges. 

 The blossoms are pretty, of a pleasant lilac, gathered in a head on short 

 fine pedicels. The false P. erosa of gardens is a coarser plant, and 

 quite easily thrives under reasonable conditions of cool rich soil. I 

 have from Nepaul a closely similar species, puberulous all over, with 

 corollas irregularly lobed. This, whether a mere form or no, grows 

 vastly in deep moist soil, in the company of P. japonica. 



P. x Escheri is the natural hybrid of P. auricula P. x integrifolia. 

 It is easily recognised as intermediate, being taller than P. integrifolia, 

 with more flowers, marginate leaves, a powdered calyx and a sweet 

 scent ; while it differs from P. auricula by its lesser stature, fewer 

 flowers, longer calyces and deep dull-red colouring. It is to be found 

 on the high moors of the West-Rhaetian Alps in the Engadine, &c. It 

 is in cultivation, but I have never seen it listed, nor set ej^es on it, either 

 in gardens or on the wild hills. I should suspect it of sharing the 

 ugliness of P. discolor. 



P. Esquirolii is at present a species of uncertain place and needs. 

 it is placed for the moment near P. Davidi, and was collected in 

 Kwei-chou. 



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