PRIMULACE.E. 243 



forcing, and by this means a welcome succession of flower may 

 be kept up throughout the dreary winter months. The C. per- 

 sicum sorts are best for this purpose. They bear extra excite- 

 ment with less injury than most of the hardier species do. 



C. Coum {Round-leaved C.) is a diminutive species, but also 

 one of the earliest flowering, and consequently very desirable, 

 though not one of the handsomest. The corms are smaller and 

 smoother than those of the same age of most other species. 

 The leaves are small, round, heart-shaped at the base, and 

 entire on the margin. The corolla is small, bright red or pur- 

 plish red, and divided into five ovate reflexed lobes. Flowers 

 from February to April. Native of the mountains of the south 

 of Europe at high elevations. C. C. albiwt is a very pretty 

 variety of this species, and, flowering as it does at the same 

 time, is an excellent companion to it. C. C. carnewn is another 

 interesting variety, with blush-coloured flowers. 



0. europseum {Co^nmon C.) — This is a large-growing species 

 with roundish, heart-shaped, toothed leaves, often zoned on the 

 upper surface with pale green. The flowers vary in colour in 

 difterent individuals, but in nature the most common colour is 

 white or rose, or both shading into each other, but purple and 

 various shades of red are also met with, and in cultivation there 

 are varieties distinguished by different combinations of these 

 colours. Flowers in August and September. Britain and other 

 parts of Europe. 



C. liederaefolium {Ivy -leaved C.) is perhaps, from the scientific 

 point of view, not distinct from the last species, but the form 

 usually vended under the name has distinctly angular leaves 

 with a cordate base, and the flowers are lilac shading into rose. 

 Flowers in August and September. South of Europe, usually 

 in company with C. Europaum. 



C.ibericum {Iberian C.) — A very beautiful and distinct species. 

 Leaves roundish, heart-shaped, sometimes toothed, often entire, 

 and zoned irregularly with a band of greyish green. The flowers 

 are large, variable in colour in shades of rose and white, but 

 always marked at the base of the lobes, which are sharply 

 lance-shaped, with a dark crimson or purplish crimson blotch. 

 Flowers in March and April. Iberia. 



C. neapolitanum {Neapolitan C.) is rather a variable species, 

 and sometimes confounded with the first two. The leaves 

 are most variable ; but most commonly they are of the ivy 

 shape, with a cordate base, and distinctly zoned on the upper 

 surface. The flowers are dark red, shading into pink or pale 

 purplish red at the tips of the lobes of the corolla. Native of 

 Italy. 



