PRIMULACE^ 207 



Distribution. — Europe, especially Western and Central ; Taurus, 

 Caucasus. In Britain in East Anglia only. 



Primula veris Hudson. Cowslip. 



Leaves oblong-spathulate, green to greenish grey beneath. 

 Flowering-stem erect, simple, 6-10 inches high. Umbel many- 

 flowered (3-30), yellow, with the throat spotted with orange. Bracts 

 subulate. Calyx yellowish white, swollen, campanulate, with oval, 

 sub-obtuse lobes. 



Dry meadows and pastures from the plains to the Alps. April to 

 July, according to situation. 



Distribution. — Europe, Caucasus, Altai, Siberia. 



CORTUSA L. 

 Cortusa Matthioli L. 



Stem erect, 6-12 inches high, 3-12 flowered, [leafless, densely 

 villous below like the leaf-stalks, covered in upper part, like the 

 flower-stalks, with shorter, weaker hairs. Leaves radical, on long 

 stalks, roundish cordate, 11 or 12-lobed, glabrous above, hairy 

 below and on the margin. Lobes obtuse, coarsely toothed. Flowers 

 in a loose, terminal umbel, nodding on one side. Corolla rose, be- 

 coming violet, faintly fragrant, with lanceolate, acute lobes. In- 

 volucral bracts lanceolate, entire or serrate, or deeply toothed at 

 the apex. Calyx glabrous, small, with 5 lanceolate, acute segments. 

 The foliage of this plant is very handsome, and altogether it forms 

 a useful and ornamental subject to plant in loam and leaf -mould 

 or peat. 



Damp, shady woods, moist spots on debris, or in ravines in the 

 lower Alps up to 6500 feet ; very local. May to July. 



Distribution. — Eastern Alps, Switzerland (Grisons), and Western 

 Alps of Savoy, Hautes-Alpes and Piedmont ; Arctic Russia and 

 Northern Asia. 



SOLDANELLA L. 



Small Alpine herbs, appearing on the edge of the snow and some- 

 times flowering through the snow. Flowers solitary or in few- 

 flowered umbels on long stalks, mauve or rarely white. CoroUa 

 campanulate, nodding, finely divided into many linear segments. 

 Capsule 5-valved, each valve with 2 teeth. 



Only 4 species, inhabiting Central Europe. 



Soldanella alpina L. (Plate VI.) 



Stems erect, 3-6 inches high, leafless, glabrous or rough, with 

 sessile glands or pubescent from gland-hairs. Leaves radical, dark 

 green, shining, dotted on the under side and often tinged with 

 purple, stalked, roundish cordate or reniform, coriaceous, glabrous, 

 entire, margin wavy or shallowly crenate. Flowers usually nod- 

 ding or pendent, in a terminal, 1-4 flowered umbel. Fruiting 



