THE PRIMROSE FAMILY. 



449 



Many seedling varieties of Anagallis used formerly to be 

 grown as decorative plants. Twenty or thirty years ago, 

 numerous forms were raised and advertised by florists under 

 such names as A. car idea grandiflora, A. carnea grandiflora, 

 A. speciosa, A. mulliflora, &c., and these are still occasionally 

 grown. It is curious to note that in all cases seedlings of 

 exogenous plants do not always grow by the development of 

 the terminal bud between the seed-leaves, but from lateral buds 

 below the seed-leaves or cotyledons. A correspondent of the 

 ' Gardeners' Chronicle,' 1871, p. 836, in speaking of buds being 

 produced on the stem below the seed-leayes, says : " These are 

 produced very quickly in the common Pimpernel Anagallis 

 arvensis. When the top of the young stem with the cotyledons 

 is cut off, minute protuberances arise on the sides of what was 

 before the smooth and naked stem, and from these issue buds 

 with leaves." 



Cyclamen (Sowbread). A very beautiful genus of Primula- 

 ceous plants, natives of Europe and some parts of Asia, the 

 best-known species (C. persicuni) being a native of Lebanon. 

 This plant has of late years been much improved by London 



Cyclamen persicum. 



Cyclamen A tkinsii. 



florists and market-growers, by whom it is largely grown as a 

 market-plant ; and the beautiful varieties are now innumerable, 

 and of all shades of colour between snowy white and purplish 

 crimson. C. hederafolium, C. Count, C. europ&um, C. veruum, 



2 F 



