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POTENTILL A PRIMULA. 



Potentilla nitida (Shining Cinque- 

 foil). A neat small-tufted plant; 2 

 or 3 in. high. Flowers, in early sum- 

 mer ; delicate rose, the green sepals 

 showing between the petals with a 

 pretty effect ; petals nearly oval in 

 outline, notched at the apex, longer 

 than the calyx. Leaves, ternate ; 

 leaflets obovate, or wedge- shaped, 

 toothed at the apex, clothed on both 

 surfaces with shining, silvery, silky 

 down ; stems ascending. Alps of 



Dauphiny. The rock-garden and 



borders, in sandy soil. Division. 



Potentilla pyrenaica (Pyrenean 

 Cinquefoil). A fine showy species; 

 8 to 16 in. high. Flowers, in autumn ; 

 large, deep golden yellow ; petals very 

 round and overlapping, twice as long 

 as the calyx. Leaves, the radical ones 

 on long stalks, velvety, or nearly 

 smooth, with oblong leaflets, toothed 

 towards the end for about f of their 

 length ; stem-leaves 3- to 5-lobed, 

 shortly -stalked, the upper ones entire; 

 stipules united to the petiole for al- 

 most their entire length, the free part 

 obtuse. The plant is sometimes very 

 much covered with adpressed hairs, 

 and sometimes almost smooth. Eastern 



and Central Pyrenees. Margins of 



borders, and the rock-garden, in sandy 

 loam. Division and seed. 



Potentilla verna (Spring Cinquefoil). 

 A British plant, with short tufted 

 stems, procumbent at the base, and 

 ascending to the height of 6 or 8 in. , 

 sometimes prostrate. Flowers, in 

 spring ; bright yellow, in irregular 

 panicles at the end of the stems ; 

 petals obcordate, longer than the 

 calyx. Leaves, rigid, somewhat 

 leathery, smooth, and marked with 

 lines, which, with the stems, turn 

 red as the season advances ; lower 

 ones on long stalks, with 5 or 7 oblong 

 or wedge-shaped, toothed leaflets ; 

 upper ones quinate, or rarely ternate, 

 nearly stalkless. The plant varies 



much in size and hairiness, and alsa 

 in the size of the flowers. Found on 

 rocks and dry banks in many parts of 

 England and Scotland, but not plen- 

 tifully. Borders and the rock- 

 garden, in sandy loam. Division and 

 seed. 



[The many fine varieties of Poten- 

 tillas now to be had in nurseries, are 

 of more importance to the general cul- 

 tivator of border flowers than any 

 of the species. Lists of the best kinds 

 will be found in the nurserymen's 

 catalogues.] 



Primula altaica (Altaic Primrose}. 

 A handsome free-growing Primrose; 

 3 to 5 in. high. Flowers, numerous, 

 large as those of Common Primrose, 

 mauve or purplish crimson, with 

 yellow centre. Leaves, obovate, 

 younger ones lanceolate, sinuate-cre- 

 nate, or nearly entire, obtuse, marked 

 with narrow veins, and slightly mealy. 



The rock-garden, and choice, 



mixed borders, in moist, deep, sandy 

 loam. Division and seed- 

 Primula amoena (Caucasian Prim- 

 rose). A handsome early kind, with 

 somewhat the appearance of the Oxlip, 

 and leaves somewhat like those of 

 P. denticulata; 6 to 7 inches high. 

 Flowers, in early spring ; purple, larger 

 than those of P. denticulata, in many- 

 flowered umbels ; limb of corolla 

 smooth ; tube longer than the ovate 

 or oblong, angled calyx ; involucre 

 awl-shaped. Leaves, spoon-shaped or 

 oblong, wrinkled, crenately toothed, 



hairy, woolly beneath. Caucasus. 



In the rock-garden, or warm borders, 

 in deep loam and leaf -mould. Divi 

 sion or seed. 



Primula Auricula (Common Auri- 

 cula). A well-known old garden- 

 plant. Flowers, in spring ; in various 

 colours ; stalks many-flowered, about 

 the length of the leaves; tube of 

 corolla gradually widening upwards, 

 nearly 3 times the length of the bell- 



