<^^T.A.S.S V. ORDER 1.] PRIMULA. 243 



English Botany, t. 4.— English Flora, vol. i. p. 271. — Hooker, 

 British Flora, vol. i. p. 107. — Lindley, Synopsis, p. 184. — PrimuLi 

 veris, y. acaulis, Linn. Sp. 205. 



Root scaly, somewhat abrupt, with numerous long branched fibres. 

 Leaves numerous, radical, oblong, ovate, gradually tapering at the 

 base into a 1)roadish footstalk, wrinkled, the margin somewhat waved 

 and irregularly toothed, a dark smooth green on the upper side, pale be- 

 neath, with a strong hairy mid-rib and numerous branched lateral veins. 

 Flowers numerous, each on a slender scape, from two to eight inches high , 

 and which, as well as the calyx, is generally thickly clothed with soft 

 woolly hairs ; at the base of the stalk is a small subulate scale. Calyx tu- 

 bular, with five angles, and five lanceolate teeth. Corolla large, pale 

 sulphur coloured, with five dark radiating spots in the centre ; the limb 

 of five flat obcordate lobes ; the tube as long, or rather longer than the 

 calyx, dilated upwards. Stamens on short filaments, near the bottom 

 of the tube. Sti/le as long as the tube. Sli<j)na globular. Capsule 

 ovate, opening with five or ten valves. Seeds small, numerous. 



Habitat. — Woods, hedge banks, and shady pastures abundant. 



Perennial; flowering in April and May. 



This is thought by some Botanists not distinct from the following 

 species. It is true that the flowers are sometimes found elevated on a 

 common stalk, in a simple umbel, but, as Sir W. J. Hooker observes, 

 if the scapes are traced to their very base, they will be found to spring 

 from one common point, and to constitute a sessile umbel. Varieties 

 are sometimes found with pale purplish flowers, but by cultivation 

 many very beautiful varieties are obtained, well known as ornaments to 

 the flower border ; amongst these, perhaps the most curious and 

 elegant, is a double pale sulphur coloured one, which appears 

 as if one corolla had been placed within the other. Upon exa- 

 mination, it will be found to be the stamens at the bottom of the tube 

 of the outer corolla, expanded into a perfect corolla. The expan- 

 sion of stamens into petals is a curious, though frequent occurrence, in 

 cultivation, by which many very beautiful and admirable flowers 

 are obtained, especially in the compound flowers; but in the present 

 instance we have the developement and the union of the five stamens 

 into a blossom of one piece, with five lobes 1 The student will find 

 these transformations an extremely interesting subject of investigation, 

 to which we can here only direct his attention, as we shall have occa- 

 sion to do in reference to other subjects for his inquiry, that cannot 

 be here discussed. The primrose is one of the early harbingers of 

 Spring, which has claimed the attention of poets of almost every age 

 in their praise of Spring's return, or strains of tender love. When 

 " Beaux and Beauties crowd the gaudy groves, 

 And woo and win their vegetable loves." 

 And 



" The love sick violet, and the primrose pale. 

 Bow their sweet heads and whisper to the gale." 



