PRIMULACE^ 181 



Cotyledons ovate, obtuse, emarginate, finely glandular-pubescent 

 all over, petiolate, alternately incurvinerved, with two strong nerves 

 from near the base on either side the prominent midrib, the two 

 upper are stronger, and incurving unite with the midrib in the apical 

 sinus ; lamina 5-7 mm. long, 5-6 mm. wide ; petiole channelled 

 above, glandular-pubescent, 2*5-3*5 mm. long. 



Stem always short, with undeveloped internodes, fleshy, ulti- 

 mately forming a persistent rhizome. 



Leaves radical, alternately penninerved, reticulate, rugose, with 

 more or less branched and flexuose nerves running into the mar- 

 ginal teeth, finely glandular-pubescent in the seedling stage, and 

 more or less coarsely hairy in the adult plant or subvillous beneath, 

 light green ; petioles semiterete, dilated towards the base, deeply 

 channelled above, coarsely hairy and glandular-pubescent, or sub- 

 villous in the adult plant. 



No. 1. Ovate, obtuse, suddenly tapering at the base into the 

 petiole, irregularly dentate, with the teeth tipped with a gland-like 

 mucro, even or slightly rugose. 



No. 2. Similar but more rugose, 



Primula sinensis, LindL (fig. 499). 



Primary root tapering, flexuose, with fibrous lateral rootlets, 

 somewhat bent or curved at its junction with the hypocotyl, from 

 which strong adventitious roots are generally developed at an early 

 age all abundantly provided with root-hairs. 



Hypocotyl as in P. vulgaris. 



Cotyledons broadly ovate, obtuse, emarginate, mucronate in the 

 notch, subcordate and trinerved at the base, the lateral nerves 

 branching so as to form five ; alternately nerved and reticulate up- 

 wards (nervation indiscernible except by transmitted light), glan- 

 dular-pubescent on. all parts, but especially on the upper surface ; 

 lamina 5*5-8 mm. long, or more when fully developed, 5-7 mm. 

 wide ; petiole 1-5-2-25 mm. long, semiterete, channelled above, 

 glandular-pubescent, pale green. 



When the cotyledons divest themselves early of the testa and 

 remains of the endosperm it is seen that there is no emargination, 

 and the mucro is the most prominent point of the cotyledon. This 

 mucro consists of clear, colourless tissue embedded in the tissue of 

 the cotyledon with its lower and cuneate end in direct communica- 

 tion with the midrib, and that again with the vascular bundle run- 

 ning down the hypocotyl and entering the root. The midrib tipped 

 with the mucro ceases to develop after a time while the surrounding 

 tissue grows, resulting in emargination. Variations from the above 



