217 



Report of an experiment which hears upon the specijic identity of the 

 Cowslip and Primrose. By Hewett C. Watson, Esq., F.L.S. 

 While the botanists of this country were still imperfectly ac- 

 quainted with the true Primula elatior (of Jacquin), and were apply- 

 ing that name to vaiieties of the Primula vulgaris, I called the 

 attention of the Botanical Society to one of those varieties which 

 differed from the ordinary form of P. vulgaris, not only by having the 

 umbel of flowers raised above the leaves on an elongated scape (a va- 

 riation of character not rare in P. vulgaris), but also by approaching 

 nearer towards P. veris in the size and colour of its flowers, the 

 pubescence and other characters. This is the variety which is en- 

 tered in the London Catalogue, under the name of Primula vulgaris 

 var. intermedia, and which has been alluded to in the pages of the 

 ' Phytologist ' on diff"erent occasions (Phytol. i. pp. 9, 232, 1002), under 

 the name of the " Claygate Oxlip." It has also been distributed by the 

 Botanical Society, under the name of " Oxlip, No. 2," in contrast 

 with other forms of Primulas which are designated " Oxlips " also. 



A wild root of this Claygate oxlip was removed to my garden in 

 the spring of 1841, Neither in that year, nor during the three suc- 

 ceeding years, did I observe any seedlings about the plant. In the 

 summer of 1843, I saved some of the seed, all from the one plant, in 

 order to ascertain whether it would germinate. This seed was sown 

 in a flower-pot, in the spring of 1844, and kept well watered. Nume- 

 rous plants thus raised, were removed to the open ground in the 

 autumn of 1844. On the 2d of May, 1845, there were eighty-eight 

 of these plants alive ; seventy of them then being in flower. Several 

 were in no wise distinguishable from the common primrose ; some few 

 were perfect cowslips ; the greater number being intermediate varie- 

 ties, which might fairly be said to connect the cowslips and prim- 

 roses, step by step, so gradually did these varieties pass one to the 

 other. On throwing them into groups, to correspond with the ar- 

 rangement given in the ' London Catalogue of British Plants,' I 

 obtained the following numerical results : — 



True cowslips (Primula veris) 4 



Cowslips passing to oxlips (P. veris, var. major) 5 



Oxlips (P. vulgaris, vnr. intermedia) 23 



Caulescent primroses (P. vulgaris var. caulescens) .... 18 



True primroses (P. vulgaris) 20 



Plants not bearing flowers 18 



88 

 Vol. II. 2 e 



