1914-15.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH 339 



may suffice to suggest to workers in China. Burmah. and 

 East Himalaya a subject requiring investigation, and upon 

 which their observations may throw light. 



Summary. 



Primula obconica, Hance, has a wide distribution in 

 Eastern Asia, whence it spreads into Burmah and reaches 

 Bhutan. 



It is a xeromorph in many of its forms. 

 In the Eastern Himalaya occurs P. Listeri, King — as yet 

 known only from a few localities. 



It is mainly a sylvestral in most of its forms. 

 The type form of P. obconica. Hance, is a plant with 

 stalked ovate rotundate entire leaves with scapes longer than 

 the leaves, and bearing single umbels of several flowers. 



The type form of P. Listeri, King, is a plant with 

 stalked ivy-shaped leaves with scapes shorter than the 

 leaves, and bearing few-rlowered single umbels. 



Both vary — the former most. The variations appear in 

 all organs of the plants, and link the two types together, 

 perhaps not completely. 



Information is as yet insufficient for the correlation of 

 the variations with definite condition. Some of them, 

 however, are so distinct as to deserve definite names as 

 microforms in a widespread aggregate. 



The aggregate, which may be called for the time the 

 section Obconico-Listeri of Primula, includes : — 



P. ambita, Balf. fil. : an obconica which is glabrous and 



has a large involucre and nearly sessile flowers. 

 P. austrolisteri, Balf. til. : a Listeri which has long 

 petiolate leaves and thread-like pedicels to the 

 larger flowers. 

 P. BARBICALYX. C. H. Wright : an obconica with hirsute 

 covering, short scapes, and a calyx bearded at the 

 base, its lobes long and often denticulate. 

 P. begoxiiformis. Petit m. : an obconica with small 

 leaves, often lobed, and always more or less hairy. 

 P. Listeri. King, var. rot v. ad i folia, Franchet. 

 P. Listeri, King, var. glabrescens, Franchet (ex 

 specim.). 



