90 TRANSACTIONS AND I'KOCEKKfNOS OF THK [Sess. Lxvi. 



P. farinosa, L. ; P. liush/ji, Greene ; P. angustifolia, Torr. ; 

 P. OusicJciana, A. Gray; P. suffrutesccns, A. Gray; P. Parryi, 

 A. Gray. In the old world there is a great variety of 

 species. Europe possesses in all thirty-one, scattered over 

 the British Isles, Scandinavia, Finland, Russia, the 

 Pyrenees, Alps, Austria, Italy, Jjulgaria, and Thrace. But 

 by far the greater number of species is to Ite found in 

 Asia, especially in the Eastern Himalayas, but also in 

 Afghanistan, Thibet, China, Japan, and elsewhere. The 

 well-known P. sinensis, Lindl., and obconica, Hance, are 

 natives of China ; P. Sicholdi, Morren, and P. J(q)onica, 

 Gray, are from Japan ; P. Jiorihunda, Wall., from Afghan- 

 istan ; P. verticillata, Forsk., from Arabia and Abyssinia ; 

 P. luteola, Eupr., from the Eastern Caucasus ; P. rosea, 

 Eoyle, from the Western Himalayas ; P. ccqntata and P. 

 Sik-Jcimensis, Hook., from Sikkim. ; P. denticulata, Sm., and 

 P. involncrata, Wall, from Cashmere. I mention these as 

 being all well-known, cultivated plants in this country. A 

 large number seem not yet to be grown by our horticul- 

 turists. 



Turning, however, to the Primuke of Europe, I proceed 

 to enumerate them (omitting for the present the hybrids), 

 describing the greater number, and making any remarks on 

 the different species that may seem to be called for. 



They may be grouped under three sections, or sub- 

 genera, of which P. auricida, L., P. fari7iosa, L., and P. 

 officinalis, L., may be taken as the respective types. 



I. The first section, that of Auricula, is marked by the 

 leaves being involute in the young state, by the flowers 

 being almost always imibellate, and by the short, globose 

 or oval capsule. The only other group of Primuke with 

 involute leaves is a small foreign group consisting of 

 P. jiorihunda. Wall.; P. verticillata, 'Fovok.; and P. Aucheri, 

 Jaub. and Spach. 



The twenty-two species of this section are exclusively 

 European. No species occur either in America or in Asia. 

 ]\Ioreover, in Europe they are confined to the southern 

 mountain ranges, and they are most of all to be found in 

 the Eastern Alps. Three only — P. integrifolia, L., P. 

 viscosa. All, and P. hirsuta. All. — occur in the Pyrenees ; 



