2788 



PRIMULA 



PRIMULA 



cult. Low, with a radical rosette of thick obovate- 

 cuneate glabrous or pubescent mealy Ivs. 2 or 3 in. 

 long, which are often crenate on the upper part: scape 

 1-8 in. high (sometimes nearly or quite wanting), 

 usually exceeding the Ivs.: fls. in an umbel, sometimes 

 as many as 20, bright yellow and fragrant or inodorous, 

 short-stalked, subtended by minute oval mealy bracts, 

 the segms. obovate-cuneate and emarginate; stamens 

 dimorphous. This description represents the wild 

 form as understood by J. G. Baker in B.M. 6837. "It 

 is one of the most widely spread of all the species," 

 Baker writes, "as it extends in a wild state from 

 Dauphine and the Jura on the west through Switzer- 

 land to Lombardy, the Tyrol, Hungary, and Tran- 

 sylvania." In cult., the plant has run into fls. of many 

 colors. It is possible that some of these forms are 

 hybrid progeny with related species. Baker writes: 

 "What the relation is of this widely spread wild type to 

 the multiform races of the garden Auricula is a subject 

 that still remains to be fully worked out." The cult, 

 forms are of two groups, those having farina on the 

 Ivs. and those without it. Var. albocinota, Hort. Lvs. 

 densely farinaceous, white-margined. The wild form 

 of the species is little known in cult. MacWatt writes 

 that "by nature it flourishes best where it is most at 

 home, amongst the limestone rocks of the Alps, the 

 Apennines, and the Carpathians. In the wild state the 

 flowers are comparatively small, but under cultivation 

 the scape often carries a big head of large^sized flowers." 

 Var. ciliata, Koch (P. cilidta, Moretti. P. Bdlbisii, 

 Lehm. P. bellunensis, Venzo), has Ivs. not farinose, 

 cartilaginous-margined, more or less glandular-pilose, 

 the edges densely long-ciliate: fls. scentless. Var. 

 Obristii, Beck (P. Obristii, Stein. P. similis, Stein. P. 

 Bdlbisii, Beck). Lvs. silvery green, not mealy, more or 

 less glandular-hairy, the margin cartilaginous and cili- 

 ate: fls. fragrant, yellow, the calices and pedicels mealy; 

 May-July. For dry sunny edges or rocks. 



35. Palin&ri, Petag. Rhizome woody and widely 

 spreading: Ivs. large, often 8 in. long and 3 in. wide, 

 obovate or oblong, fleshy and pliable, light green, not 

 farinaceous, dentate, narrowed into a petiole which is 

 sometimes elongated: scape surpassing the Ivs., fari- 

 nose above, bearing a many-fld., even to 40-fld., 

 umbel: fls. pedicellate, drooping to one side, the floral 

 bracts leafy and farinose; calyx densely white-farinose, 

 campanulate at top, deeply cut into sharp-pointed 

 lobes; corolla deep yellow, standing well out of the 

 calyx, the lobes emarginate: caps, equaling or exceeding 

 the calyx. S. Italy in the Appennine region. B.M. 

 3414. G.C. III. 41:18. Gn. 76, p. 227. G.M. 55:381. 

 A striking species with a cowslip odor, blooming in 

 England in May; it is advised in England to grow it in 

 good loam to which peat and sand have been added; 

 in cold districts it is to be kept under glass, with plenty 

 of light and air, in winter; does not bloom until it has 

 attained good size. 



AA. Fls. rose, violet, purple, or bluish. 



B. Lvs. entire, coriaceous, cartilaginous-margined: bracts 

 rMrrow and long: fls. rose-colored. 



c. Foliage pellucid-punctate and viscid. 



36. spectabilis, Tratt. (Aretia spectdbilis, Link). A 

 low plant (3-4 in.) with stiff, glossy green oblong or 

 rhomb-oblong viscid entire Ivs. that have a pronounced 

 cartilaginous margin or edge, acute or subacute, deeply 

 pitted on the upper surface: scape equaling or exceed- 

 ing the foliage, bearing a 1-7-fld. umbel: bracts linear 

 and acute, usually reddish: fls. mauve-colored; calyx 

 tubular-campanulate, with lanceolate obtuse lobes, 

 minutely glandular; corolla exceeding the calyx, about 

 1 in. across, widened above, the lobes obcprdate. Alps. 

 R.H.S. 39:105. A showy species, requiring a shady 

 place in light soil in the rock-garden; worthy of 

 attention. 



cc. Foliage not pellucid-punctate or viscid, green or 

 glaucous. 



37. glaucescens, Moretti. A vigorous glabrous 

 species, not farinose: Ivs. 1-4 in. long, lightly glaucous 

 and blue, stiff, shining, narrowly oblong or lanceolate, 

 acute, broadly cartilaginous-margined: scape 2-5 in. 

 high, somewhat exceeding the foliage, bearing a 2-6-fld. 

 umbel: bracts leafy, usually reddish, linear: fls. rose, 

 lilac, or purple; calyx tubular, cut to middle or below, 

 the lobes lanceolate or oblong and acute or somewhat 

 obtuse; corolla funnelform, about 1 in. across, with 

 obcordate lobes: caps, oblong, included in calyx. Alps. 

 Gn. 61, p. 360. R.H.S. 39:105. Var. calycina, 

 MacWatt (subsp. calyclna, Pax & Knuth. P. calyclna, 

 Duby). Stouter: Ivs. and calyx large, the latter cut 

 beyond middle with acute lobes: corolla-limb about 

 Kin. across. G.W. 15, p. 271. G. 36:273. Var. longo- 

 barda, MacWatt (subsp. longobdrda, Pax & Knuth. 

 P. longobdrda, Porta). Smaller: Ivs. and calyx small, the 

 latter cut to middle with acute or obtuse lobes : corolla- 

 limb scarcely %in. across. 



38. Wulfeniana, Schott. Spreading tufts: Ivs. 1-2 

 in. long, stiff, lanceolate to oblong and elliptic, not 

 viscous, shining, dark green, margined and minutely 

 glandular : scape about 2 in. high, equaling or surpassing 

 the foliage, bearing 1-3 fls.: bracts linear, usually red- 

 dish: fls. rose-colored; calyx tubular, glandular, more or 

 less purplish, with ovate-obtuse lobes; corolla with 

 white throat, the limb funnelform and about 1 in. 

 across, the obcordate lobes deeply emarginate: caps, 

 included in calyx. Alps, chiefly Austrian. Gn. 61, p. 429. 

 Very early blooming in cult, and not difficult to grow. 



39. Clusiana, Tausch. Foliage lighter in color than 

 in No. 38, the Ivs. stiffish and somewhat shining, 

 scarcely viscid, ovate or oblong, acute or obtuse, entire 

 and the margin narrowly cartilaginous: scape some- 

 times 4 in. or more high (usually 6-7 in. under cult.), 

 glandular, 1-6-fld. : bracts lanceolate or linear, more or 

 less purplish: fls. rose-colored or lilac; corolla-lobes 

 bifid rather than emarginate. Austrian Alps. G.W. 

 15, p. 271. R.H.S. 39:105. Of easy cult, in a slightly 

 shaded place. 



BB. Lvs. serrate or dentate (sometimes only subserrate or, 

 as in No. 40, perhaps entire), coriaceous or fleshy: 

 bracts various: fls. rose-colored, bluish, or violet. 

 c. Foliage not farinose but reddish glandular-hairy, at 



least on margin (with a reddish exudate). 

 D. Glandular-hairy on margins of Ivs. only. 



40. pedemontana, Thomas. Lvs. ovate or oblong- 

 lanceolate, acute or obtuse, dentate or sometimes 



E ractically entire, shining, the margin densely glandu- 

 ir red-ciliate, otherwise glabrous or nearly so: scape 

 surpassing the Ivs., about 6 in. high, glandular, bear- 

 ing 1 to many rose-colored or rarely white handsome 

 fls.: bracts ovate and obtuse, scariose: calyx tubular- 

 campanulate, glandulose; corolla minutely reddish 

 glandular, the throat white, limb about 1 in. across, the 

 lobes obcordate. Graian and Cottian Alps. B.M. 

 5794. Gn. 61, p. 397; 72, p. 166. 



DD. Glandular-hairy on both surfaces of Ivs. 



E. Fls. long-pedicelled (pedicels usually l A-%in. or so in 



length): scape mostly shorter than the Ivs. 



41. hirsuta, All. Lvs. broadly obovate or rhomboid, 

 varying rarely to somewhat cuneate, obtuse, very viscid, 

 with yellow, orange, or reddish glands, toothed toward 

 the apex or throughout: scape glandular, often shorter 

 than Ivs., to about 3 in. high, bearing 1 to many fls. on 

 filiform pedicels: bracts broadly ovate and obtuse, 

 scarious: fls. lilac, rose, or white; calyx broad-campanu- 

 late, glandular; corolla-limb 1 in. or less across, with 

 obcordate emarginate lobes: caps, included in calyx. 

 Pyrenees, Alps, Apennines. B.M. 14 (as P. villosa)', 

 1922 (as P. decora). Gn. 61, p. 359. R.H.S. 39:105. 



