CHAPTER XXVI 



The Sikkim Primrose 

 (Primula sikhimensis). 



Rock-Garden Primulas 



FEW families contain more 

 well-known and popular garden 

 plants than that of the Primula, 

 which embraces such familiar flowers 

 as the Cowslip, Primrose, and Poly- 

 anthus. The extent and distribu- 

 tion of this family (natural order 

 Primulaceae) may be gathered from 

 figures given at the Conference on 

 the Primula, held by the Royal 

 Horticultural Society. There it was 

 stated that over three hundred 

 species were now known, distributed 

 over the Northern Hemisphere 

 in the following proportion : 

 Seventy are found in the 

 Himalayas ; one hundred and 

 forty are Chinese ; about 

 forty occur in Asia outside 

 the Himalayas and China ; 

 fourteen are Japanese ; nine- 

 teen are American ; whilst in 

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