PENTANDRIA. MONOGTNIA. 119 



cla, and a doubtful species as to the genus in the tropical 

 parts of America. 



181. PRIMULA. L, (Primrose. Prime-veref or 

 First flower of the Spi-ini^.) 



Flowers in an involurrate umbell. — Calix in- 

 bular, 5-toothed. persistent. Tube of the corol- 

 la cylindrir, orifice spreading, border 5 lobed, 

 lobes emarginate. Stigma globose. Capsule 1- 

 Gelled, summit lOvalved. 



Habit as the preceding-, but perennial; flowering- early; 

 most of the species alpine, withstanding' and thriving- in 

 the most rii^corous clinaates, to the very limits of perp'-tuai 

 snow. Amongst these, more interesting- than the rest, is 

 the P. auricula of the Austrian and Helvetic alps, origi» 

 naliy yellow, it is now to be seen m gardens of the most 

 diversified colours; the calix and corolla of th.s species 

 and the under side of the leaves in the P. farinosa is sin' 

 gularly decorated wiih a white and deciduous powder. 



Species 1. P. tnistassimca 2 *farinosa> Leaves cre- 

 nate. smoo'h, under sule pulverulent, border of the co- 

 rolla flat, — segments obcordate, Smith, Flor, Brit. i. p. 

 2'«4. (!^ird's-eye Primrose.) On the calcareous gravelly 

 sh -res of the islands of Lake Huron; around Michihniaki- 

 nak, Bois Blanc, and St. Helena, in the outlet of Lake Mi- 

 chigan: abundant, v. v. sine fi. 



This interesting genus is almost exclusively confined 

 to the cold or alpine regions of F.urope, there are also 3 

 or 4 species in Siberia, and 1 in the Levant. 



182. DODECATHEON. L. (American Cowslip,) 

 Calix 5-' loft. Corolla rotate, reflected, 5-cleft. 

 Stamina 8 s.tf'A in the tube. Stigma obtuse. Cap^ 

 side 1 -ceiled, oblong, op^'ning .^t the hpex. 



Leaves radical; scapes umbellate, flowers noding; se- 

 minal receptacle Jui-ge,ova^e acuminate, silpiiate. 



Species, 1 DMeadia. 2. integrifolium Leaves sub- 

 spat liulate-orate, short, nearly entire; umbell few-flower- 

 ed; lioweis erect; bracles linear; segmenis of the calix li- 

 neai- acute. — A much smaller plant than the preceding. 



This genus is peculiar to North America, and extt-nds 

 westward to th' mountai, ou-, sourct s of the Missouri, 

 where Captain Lewis collected specimens. 



