205 



one parent, some like another, and perhaps their produce maybe neither pure nor con- 

 stant. Some Oxlips are scarcely anything else than larger-flowered Cowslips, and others 

 appear to he merely caulescent, or rather scapescent Primroses. We look in vain for 

 a specific character. But with regard to the German Oxlip, the true P. elatior of 

 Linnasus and of the German botanists, and which is not yet known to be a native of 

 England or of north-western Europe, the case is difi'erent. It is found in great abun- 

 dance throughout Germany, south of the Neckar, and as far as the Italian side of the 

 Alps, in the pastures of the Tyrol. It seems to be subject to no varieties, and is 

 found not intermixed with other species, unless, perhaps, with some of the Alpine spe- 

 cies in their peculiar localities. It has a peculiar cramp habit of leaf, a rough scape, 

 nodding flowers, swelling calyx, and is scentless. In beauty it is inferior to either our 

 Oxlip or Cowslip, or to P. Columnee or suaveolens of Italy. It may rank, perhaps, 

 with P. Pallasii. The English Oxlip is only known on the continent by its garden 

 varieties, namely, the Polyanthus tribe. Perhaps the north and west of France, where 

 the climate is the same as in England, should be excluded from these observations re- 

 garding the continent; as it is possible that Brittany and Normandy may possess both 

 Primrose and Cowslip, and consequently the Oxlip. — S. in Gard. Chron. March 12, 

 1842. 



149. The Primrose, Cowslip and Oxlip. In your report of the Proceedings of the 

 Botanical Society of Edinburgh, p. 645, it is stated, in reference to the variable off"- 

 spring of Polyanthus-seed, that " several members expressed their belief that the va- 

 rieties arising from Primula vulgaris and P. elatior of British authors, maybe correctly 

 referred to one species ; but that the P. veris is a distinct and well-marked species, 

 never seen to amalgamate with, or pass into the others." Bearing on this point, one 

 or two cases have come under ray notice which seem to lead to a contrary conclusion. 

 I once saw a number of seedlings from the Cowslip (P. veris), among which there was 

 as great a diversity, both in form and colour, as is generally found in a bed of seedling 

 Polyanthuses. Many retained the Cowslip form, but varied in colour from deep yel- 

 low, through all the gradations, to dark red ; others, again, approached the Polyan- 

 thus in breadth of corolla. On the other hand, the Primrose (P. vulgaris) does not 

 appear to vary much in fonn, but only in colour, when raised from seed. At Kiplin, 

 in Yorkshire, the seat of the Earl of Tyrconnel, there are Primroses of more than a 

 dozen distinct shades of colour, which must originally have sprung from seed ; but al- 

 though there are thousands of plants, I have no recollection of ever seeing one among 

 them with more than a single flower on a stalk, or betraying any disposition to assume 

 the cupped corolla of the Cowslip. Might not the Oxlip (P. elatior) be a hybrid be- 

 tween the Cowslip and the Primrose ? The flowers of the common Primrose on the 

 flower-stalk of the Cowslip, would be a near approach to the Oxlip. It is much less 

 common (at least wherever I have been) than either the Cowslip or the Primrose, which 

 seems to indicate that it is not reproduced freely by seed. — J. B. Whiting. — [This is 

 also the opinion of some good botanists]. — Gardeners^ Chronicle, October 9, 1841. 



150. The Polygonum maritimum mentioned in my list (Phytol. 144), I find to be 

 an error ; it is not the true P. maritimum, but P. Raii, as figured in the Supplement 

 of Sowerby's 'English Botany.'—/. W. G. Gutch; 38, Foley Place, February 2, 1842. 



151. Errata. Phytol. p. 132, line 4 from bottom, for P. Rupert read F. Russell. 

 P. 138, line 6, for Harmton read Naunton. P. 176 line 18 from bottom, for E. H. 

 Button read E. H. Button. P. 178 line 7, for W. Charlton read W. Chorlton. 



