1434 



PRIMULA 



long-obconic, hairy, the segments well separated and 

 broadly obcordate; calyx small, not inflated. China. 

 G.C. III. 1:574.— A most odd species, with vinca-like fls. 

 7. Vernales. 

 This is a group of spring-flowering plants to which 

 the polyanthus nn<l the tiue cowslip Ijeloug. They are 

 much varied aiMl lixlnidi/. I iii.l tin liotany of them is 

 therefore much c ..iitiis, ,1 \\ h it l,inii i >is called P. veris 

 (meaning thi miimIm ^i i im_- Pi iinul il ii nowdismem- 

 beredinto P. nif,,, II, ills r.ln , m\ P. rulgaris. 



1957. Primula oflicinalis (X M)- 



A. Scape strong and projecting above the Ivs., bearing 

 an umbel. 

 B. Fls. small, the limb of the corolla concave or cup- 

 like. 



13. officinalis, .Tacq. Cowslip. Fig. 1957. Stemless, 

 minutely soft-imii.'s,-,.i,i : h s. ,,v:il i.r oblong, abruptly 



contracted or sul i-.l.it.- ni ili. h:i-.-, tin- petiole winged, 



the limb uneven] v .h niirulaic- ..r soim times erose: scape 

 6-12 in. tall, l..'aiii,_ uli-nt i; 1_' IN. in a close umbel, all 

 the fls.poinriii- ..r ,lr,M,|,iiiL' m '•<<•■ vi,i,.: Hs. bright light 



yellow, the tulu- .'il i iIm> liiii;ili .,r iIm- lialf-n.-ute lobes 



of the loose \uv-- r ,!•, x, !!,,• linii. .-.|.;,i,,|!iil' little be- 

 yond the buli;i- "!' il"' i-.il\\ i:i!"iin ',-■, m, aiTOss). 

 Central and nuftlMTii llui-fipi-, ami li-ni: in full i\ation. 



BB. Fls. larger, opening iei,h ,in,l inm-hj fhit. 



14. eI4tior, Jacq. Oxlip. Very lik.- iln- last, hut the 

 expanded fls. twice broader, ami tin- calyx narrow (not 

 inflated) and with acuminate lobes: usually somewhat 

 taller: Ivs. very rugose. Europe, particularly in moun- 

 tains and in the northern parts. 



AA. Scape usually short or almost none, the umbels 

 therefore borne in the foil, I'h >ii,'i!!,' // sfunding 

 singly on the long rays {■ j - -. Ii:). 



15. viilg&.ris, Huds. (P. acuhi, i i -i i, I'kimrose. 

 Leaves many, tufted, sessile "i ! ii ; lu i" a narrow 

 base, long oblong-obovatf ami i.Kins, rt;-!iiii. long),ru- 



irregularly shalluw Im,.i1h ,1 a 



linih flat, usually 

 :, slender pedicels; 

 acuminate. There 



not equaling the lea' 



calyx not inflaterl. tlic IoIms aci 



are double-flrt. furnis. H..M. L'L'l*. Gn. 29, p. 385. R.H. 



1880:90. — Var. caulescens, an occasional state, has .some 



of the scapes more or less prolonged. Europe, widely 



distributed. For pictures of various forms of P. vul- 

 garis, see Gn. 54:1184 and pp. 142, 143; 7, pp. 319, 345; 

 11, p. 127; 12:101. A.P. 13:1102. Gng. «:245. R.H. 

 1898:12. 



16. Foly&ntha, Hort. Polyanthus. Figs. 1950, 1958, 

 1959. A garden group supposed to be hybrids of P. offici- 

 nalis or P. elatior and P. vulgaris, although many bota- 

 nists refer it to P. elatior direct. Some consider it to be 

 adirect development of /". vulgaris. Whatever its origin, 

 the group is distinct for garden purposes, and it is the 

 commonest form of hardy Primula known in American 

 gardens. The fls. are several to many in an erect umliel 

 terminating a scape that usually stands well above the 

 long Ivs.; the colors are mostly yellow and red-and-yellow. 

 There is a form with one corolla inside the other, known 

 as Duplex or Hose-in-Hose. The Polyanthus is perfectly 

 hardy, blooming in earliest spring. Prop, usually by 

 division. P. variabilis, as used in horticultural litera- 

 ture, usually refers to this Polvanthus group or to plants 

 of similar origin. 



8. Capitate. 



17. denticulita, Smith. Scapes 4-18 in. tall, bearing 

 a dense umbel or head of pale purple fls.: Ivs. in a 

 rosette on the crown, usually not full grown until the 

 flowers are past, and surrounded beneath by short, 

 broad, thick, leaf-like bracts; leaf-blades oblong-obovate 

 or spatulate, usually narrowed into a winged stalk, 

 sharply denticulate, more or less mealy: corolla-tube 

 about twice as long as the calyx -teeth, the corolla-lobes 

 obcordate. Himalaya region, 7,000 to 13,000 ft., and said 

 by Hooker to be "the commonest Himalayan Primula, 

 and very variable." B.M. 3959. B.R. 28:47. Gn. 11. 

 p. 127; 29, p. .S82; 35, p. 529; 41, p. 588. -A hardy plant, 

 usually treated as a rockwork subject. Blooms in 

 earliest spring. Var. purpilrea, Hort., has dark purple 

 fls. Var. diba, Hort., has white fls. Gn. 50, p. 372. Var. 

 pulch^rrima, Hort., is very robust, with deep purple fls. 

 in dense heads. 



Var. Cachemiriina, Hook. f. {P. Cachemiridna, 

 Monro. P. Cashmeridna, Hort.). Lvs. nearly or 

 quite full grown when the fls. are in bloom, usually 

 more mealy (yellow-mealy beneath and sometimes on 

 top) : fls. rich purple with yellow center. Western 

 Himalayan region. R.H. 1880:330. P. Sibirica, var. 

 Kiishmiriana (B.M. 6493) is a different plant. See 

 No. 24. 



18. capitata, Hook. Much like P. denticulata, but 

 lvs. appearing with the fls. and the fleshy leaf-bracts 

 few or none: according to Hooker, it "has finely den- 

 ticulate leaves, often snow-white with meal beneath, 

 but sometimes not so; a tall also mealy scape and 

 globose densely crowded head of sessile flowers which 

 o;m II -l.ivl. , ami the uppermost unexpanfloi! ones are 

 ■ ]■]'-. . ■' i! I imbricate over one am. tliei- like tlie tiles 

 el I ir I • i lie corolla is of very <lee|i |iur|ile liliie. the 



I ...^ l.oth short." Eastern liimaLua, B.M. 



i;.:.u. i.:ii;, l;. K.S. 0:618. Gn. li;:L'l(i; :;;). 1-. 382; 

 45, p. 503; DO, p. 373; 54, p. 467. J.H. III. 32:209. 



19. erdsa. Wall. (P. capltdta, var. crispa, Hort. P. 

 denticulitta, var. cro.sK, Duby). Differs from P. dentic- 

 ulata, according to Hooker, "in its mnch sl.-nrtorer 

 habit, in always (except on youiij; |.:iri-i wantmi,' the 

 meal on the leaves, which are (li\ei,.|M,i ,1 i!,.\Mring 

 time, are translucent with stroni:l\ > '■'■■■' innl iiiilicu- 

 late margins, and have a strongly i. iieulai. ,1 -ui-face, 

 and the petioles are often red; the umbels are loose or 

 dense-flowered, and the flowers in our garden speci- 

 mens are of a far deeper purple than is usual in P. den- 

 ticulata." Hooker says that the lvs. are sometimes 18 

 in. long. Temperate Himalaya. B.M. 6916A. -This name 

 does not appear in the Amer trade, but the species is 

 very likely to pass as P. denticulata or P. capitata. 



9. AURICCLATiE. 



20. auricuiata. Lam. {P. longifblia, Curt.). Scapes 

 4-10 in. tall, from a rosette of oblong-obovate smooth 

 irregularly denticulate lvs. : fls. in a rounded head or 

 umbel, purplish, with a whitish eye, the tube 1 in. or 

 more long and much exceeding the calyx, the involu- 

 cral scales more or less auriculate. Mts. of Greece to 

 Persia. B.M. 392. 



