VOL. II.] 



PRIMROSE FAMILY. 



585 



emarginate or 2-cleft. Stamens 5, inserted on the tube or at the throat of the corolla, in- 

 cluded; filaments very short; anthers oblong, obtuse. Ovary superior, globose or ovoid; 

 ovules numerous, amphitropous; style filiform; stigma capitate. Capsule oblong, ovoid or 

 globose, 5-valved at the summit, many-seeded. Seeds peltate, the testa punctate. [Diminu- 

 tive of the Latin primus, first, from the early blossoms.] 



About 150 species, mostly of the northern hemisphere, a few in Java and at the Straits of Ma- 

 gellan. Besides the following, some 10 others occur in western and northwestern North America. 

 Leaves almost always white-mealy beneath; scape 4/-i8' high. i. P.farinosa. 



Leaves green both sides; scape i'-6' high. 



Leaves spatulate or obovate, denticulate. 2. P. Mistissinica. 



Leaves oval or lance-ovate, entire. 3. P. Egaliksensis. 



i. Primula farinosa L/. Bird's-eye or 

 Mealy Primrose. (Fig. 2805.) 



Primula farinosa L. Sp. PI. 143. 1753. 



Leaves spatulate or oblong, obtuse at the apex, 

 narrowed or somewhat cuneate at the base, taper- 

 ing into petioles, or sessile, usually white-mealy 

 beneath at least when young, green above, i'-4/ 

 long, 2 // -6 // wide, the margins crenulate-dentic- 

 ulate; scape 4/-I8' high, 3-ao-flowered ; flowers 

 umbellate; bracts of the involucre acute or acum- 

 inate; pedicels 2 // -i2 // long; calyx-lobes acute, 

 often mealy; corolla pink or lilac, usually with a 

 yellowish eye, the tube slightly longer than the 

 calyx, the lobes cuneate, retuse or obcordate, 2"- 

 3 /x long; capsule narrowly oblong, erect, about 

 5" long, longer than the calyx. 



In moist places, Maine and Quebec to Greenland, 

 west to the north shore of Lake Superior, the North- 

 west Territory and Alaska. Also in Europe and 

 Asia. Summer. 



2. Primula Mistassinica Michx. Mistassini 

 or Dwarf Canadian Primrose. (Fig. 2806.) 



Primula Mistassinica Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. i: 124. 1803. 



Similar to the preceding species, but smaller; scape 

 very slender, i'-6' high. Leaves spatulate or obovate, 

 green on both sides (rarely slightly mealy beneath), 

 denticulate or repand, obtuse at the apex, narrowed or 

 cuneate at the base, petioled or sessile, ^'-i^'long, 

 J.j4"-5" wide; flowers 2-8, umbellate; bracts of the in- 

 volucre acute or acuminate; pedicels 2 // -i2 // long; 

 corolla pink, or pale purple, with or without a yellow 

 eye, the tube longer than the calyx; corolla-lobes obcor- 

 date, iW-2%" long; capsule narrowly oblong, erect, 



2 ^"- 4// high - 



4- i ' /y ^r^Vivl//^^^^ On wet banks, Maine to Greenland, west to central New 



York, Michigan and the Northwest Territory. Intergrades 

 with the preceding species. Occurs also in northern Europe. 

 Summer. 



3. Primula Egaliksensis Hornem. Greenland 

 Primrose. (Fig. 2807.) 



Primula Egaliksensis Hornem. Fl. Dan. pi. 1511. 1814. 



Leaves green both sides, oval or lance-ovate, entire, or 

 slightly undulate, obtuse or obtusish at the apex, y 2 '-\ r 

 long, narrowed into petioles of about their own length; 

 scape very slender, 2 / -6 / high; umbels 2-6-flowered; 

 bracts of the involucre lanceolate, acuminate; pedicels 

 short, elongating in fruit; calyx-teeth short, acute; corolla- 

 lobes i // -2 // long, much shorter than the tube, obovate, 

 sometimes cleft to the middle; capsule erect, about 3" 

 high, longer than the calyx. 



Northern Labrador (Turner, according to A. Gray) and 

 Greenland. Summer. 



