1428 



PRESTONIA 



PRIMULA 



PKESTONIA (probably named after Charles Preston, 

 a correspondent of Ray). Apocynacece. About 30 spe- 

 cies of tall climbers from tropical America. P. venosa 

 is a tender foliage plant once offered in America as 

 Ecliites nutans. Prestonia differs from Echites in hav- 

 ing a callous ring inside the corolla-tube at the throat 

 and often 5 linear, erect scales below. Other generic 

 characters ; calyx with 5 entire or lacerated scales inside 

 at the base: corolla salver-shaped, the tube constricted 

 at the throat; lobes 5; ovary with 2 distinct carpels; 

 seeds comose at the apex. 



The following points are adapted from Lowe's Beauti- 

 ful Leaved Plants : P. venosa is cultivated for the net- 

 work of crimson veins on its foliage. The plant blooms 

 rarely, and its fls. are far inferior to Echites or Dipla- 

 denia. When properly cultivated it makes a charming 

 subject, but if neglected it is as worthless as a weed. 

 It can hardly be propagated by cuttings; the fleshy 

 roots are cut into pieces 1-2 in. long. The plant de- 

 mands a temperature of 85 F., with an atmosphere as 

 moist as possible. Foliage should never be syringed. 

 Young plants should be raised every season, as older 

 plants become unsightly. The plant was formerly con- 

 siderably grown, being trained to a balloon-shaped wire 

 trellis. Needs warmth to bring out the markings. 



vendsa, Mottet (Echites nutans, Anders. Hcemadic- 

 tyon vendsum, Lindl.), Lvs. opposite, ovate-lanceo- 

 late, villous beneath: fls. yellow, in pedunculate pani- 

 cles: corolla-lobes roundish, wavy. St. Vincent in the 

 West Indies. B.M. 2473. Lowe 58. W. M. 



PRICKLY ASH, Xanthoxylum. P. Comfrey, Sym- 

 phytum asperrimum. P. Pear, Opuntia. P. Poppy, 

 Argemone. 



PEIDE OF INDIA. Melia Asederach. 

 PEIM. See Ligtistrum. 



PRIMROSE. Primula. Arabian P. is Arnebia cor- 

 nuta. Cape P. is Streptocarpus . Common P, is Pri- 

 mula vulgaris. English P. is Primula vulgaris. 

 Evening P. See CEnothera. 



PEIMEOSE PEEELESS. Narcissus biflorus. 



PElMULA (Primula veris, the "first in spring," was 

 an old appellation of one or more of the species). 

 Primuldcece. PRIMROSE. Low herbs, mostly spring- 

 blooming, with monopetalous salverform fls. in clusters 

 on scapes that arise from a radical cluster of leaves, the 

 fls. usually showy (pink, lilac, purple, yellow, white), 

 with a tube usually surpassing the 5-toothed or 5-cleft 



1950. Polyanthus flowers, to show dimorphism. 



calyx; corolla with 5 spreading lobes, which are usually 

 notched or retuse at the end and more or less narrowed 

 at the base ; stamens 5, affixed to the corolla-tube : ovary 

 1-loculed, with many ovules on an axile placenta, and 1 

 undivided filiform style and a capitate stigma. The 

 flowers of some Primulas are strongly dimorphic or 

 trimorphic, the stamens and pistils of different lengths 



in different flowers of the same species. Fig. 1950. See 

 Darwin's work, "The Different Forms of Flowers on 

 Plants of the Same Species." This polymorphism is 

 associated with cross-pollination. Primulas are natives 

 to the north temperate zone, only one being known in 

 the cold parts of southern South America, and one in 

 Java. They are mostly boreal or alpine plants. About 

 a dozen are native to the colder parts of North America. 

 The greatest extension of the alpine section occurs in 

 the Himalaya region, in which there are more than 40 

 species. There are several showy Chinese species, 

 some of which are now in general cultivation. The 

 total number of species is usually placed at 80-100, but 

 Pax, the latest monographer (Monographische Ubersicht 

 Uber die Arten der Gattung Primula, Leipzig, 1888, 

 and in Engler's Bot. Jahrbucher vol. 10), admits 145 

 species. 



The outdoor Primulas should be protected from 

 the midday sun. Give a covering of mulch in winter. 

 They are amongst the finest of all hardy plants. 

 Primulas are mostly perennial. Several cultural groups 

 may be recognized: (1) The alpine section affords 

 some of the most useful plants for rock and alpine 

 gardens. The relatively little attention given to alpine 

 gardens in this country is the reason for the ne- 

 glect of these charming spring - flowering plants. (2) 

 The polyanthus class, comprising fully hardy spring- 

 flowering plants, suitable for culture under ordinary 

 garden conditions, and always popular in this country. 

 To the same class belong the true cowslip (P.officinalis) 

 and the oxlip (P. elatior), but these are rarely seen in 

 our gardens in their pure form. All are easily propa- 

 gated by division. (3) Yellow-flowered or purple-flowered 

 verticillate - clustered outdoor species, of the P. im- 

 perialis and P. Japonica type, some of which are hardy 

 even in the northern states with some winter protection. 

 (4) The true greenhouse species, represented by the old 

 P. Sinensis (Chinese Primrose), the more recent P. 

 obconica and the still more recent P. Forbesl. These 

 are Chinese species. The colors are of the cyanic 

 series. (5) The auriculas of gardens, developed from 

 P, Auricula. In the auricula and cowslip groups hy- 

 brids are many, but elsewhere in the genus good hy- 

 brids seem to be few. 



The hardy Primulas are usually treated as alpine or 

 rockwork plants, to which their small stature, tufted 

 habit, and love of cool partially shaded places admir- 

 ably suit them. The reader who wants a long list of the 

 species that are suited to alpine and rock gardens should 

 consult Correvon's "Les Plantes Alpines et de Rocail- 

 les," Paris, 1895. For the present purpose, the writer 

 selects a list of twelve species recommended by Selfe- 

 Leonard for alpine gardens in England (Journ. Royal 

 Hort. 19, p. 52 (1895): 1. "The golden yellow P. Au- 

 ricula, which has the additional interest that it is cer- 

 tainly one of the original parents of our florists' Auricu- 

 las." 2. "That loveliest of white alpine Primulas, P. 

 viscosa, var. nivalis, not to be confounded with the 

 rarely seen P. nivalis of the Himalayas." P. viscosa, 

 All., is a variable species with rosettes of obovate or 

 nearly orbicular Ivs. that are toothed above, and short 

 scapes bearing umbels of mostly purple or rose fls., with 

 corolla-lobes deeply 2-lobed. Eu. 3. P. rosea and its 

 vars. grandiflora and splendens (see No. 21). 4. "If 

 you want a large and robust alpine species with crimson 

 flowers to match with P. viscosa, var. nivalis, take P, 

 viscosa, var. major" (=P. Peyritschii, Stein, but it is a 

 hybrid of P. Auricula and P. viscosa). 5-9. "So great 

 is the number of fine forms and hybrids of this well- 

 known P. viscosa that the next five of my items must 

 be taken from their ranks, viz. : P. ciliata (of gardens), 

 with a good blue-purple flower; P. ciliata, var. purpur- 

 ata, a brilliant red or crimson -pur pie: P, Balfouri, a 

 beautiful Scotch hybrid of a rare tone of color; P. Lind- 

 sayana, a scarce and fine hybrid from the same north- 

 ern gardens, I think; and P. ciliata, var. coccinea, of a 

 rare red shade." 10, P. spectabilis, Tratt,, P.Wulfeni- 

 ana, Schott, or P. Clusiana, Tausch., all from the Alps. 

 These are considered to be forms of one species by 

 some writers, but Pax keeps them distinct. They are 

 all members of the Auricula group. 11. P. glaucescens, 

 Mor. (P. calycina, Duby), one of the Auricula group. 

 Alps. -12. "That perhaps most satisfactory of all, for 



