8 History of Primula 



it was not likely tbat further advance would take place owing to the 

 difficulty in obtaining seed from the better varieties. 



Herr Arends who commenced experimenting with P. obconica in 

 1888, says that by careful selection and inter-crossing of the best strains 

 he first succeeded in obtaining his var. grandiflora with larger pale- 

 lilac flowers and that this was followed by various colour breaks in 

 later years. 



At the present day the increase in size of the flowers in comparison 

 with those of the plants originally introduced is very marked. The 

 largest flowers have been noticed principally in pink and lilac-purple 

 shades and have measured as much as 4 — 5 cm. in diameter^ (Plate I, 

 figs. 13, 15; Plate II, fig. 30). 



Fimbriation. 



The commencement of the fimbriation of the corolla segments in 

 P. obconica is a matter of some interest since this form of variation 

 appears to occur, sooner or later, in most species of Primula under 

 cultivation. Such variation of course is particularly noticeable in the 

 cultivated Chinese Primula, and as far as can be ascertained from the 

 earliest records this tendency to fimbriation had already been initiated 

 when the plant was under cultivation in China^ In wild species of 

 the genus, except in a few cases, the corolla segments show a simple 

 notch at the apex^ but under cultivation fimbriation has developed in 

 P. Forbesii, P. verticillata, P. kewensis, P. Sieboldii, P. japonica and 

 also in the varieties of the common Primrose P. vulgaris. In the 

 allied genus Cyclamen, fimbriation of the petals has also been developed 

 as a result of cultivation*. 



Another point of interest in connection with the fimbriation of the 

 corolla is that this variation has, without doubt, been developed quite 

 independently in different places, and at different times. The earliest 

 case of which a record has been traced occurred in the garden of Mr J. 



1 See also Gartenflora, 1904, 53, p. 139, ibid. 1905, 54, p. 82, and Rev. Hart. 1906, 

 p. 487. 



2 The Botanical Register, 1821, torn. 539. 



3 Primula Winteri {Gard. Chron. 1911, March 4, p. 130, Gard. Mag. 1911, March 4, 

 p. 163, with figs.), is of interest in this connection as the corolla segments are strikingly 

 fringed. P. Stuartii, P. petioloris and some other species also have fringed corolla segments 

 in the wild condition. 



* See Thiselton-Dyer, "The cultural Evolution of Cyclamen latifolium," in Proc. Roy. 

 Soc. Lxi. (1897), p. 143. 



