^00 PKiMULACE^. [Lysimachia. 



lute margins, spreadini; nearly or quite flat in a circle, at least the outermost, the 

 inner more or less erect ; suddenly contracted in various degrees about their mid- 

 dle by the abrupt attenuation of the green portion or disk of the leaf towards the 

 petiole, giving to the upper half an oblong or ovate, not obovate, figure: in all 

 my specimens the upper side of the leaves is clothed with a fine \ery short 

 pubescence. Scape solitary or terminal, from 5 or 6 to 8, 10, or 12 inches high, 

 rounded or obscurely angular, finely downy and (especially towards the base) 

 mostly purjilish, quite naked or leafless. FLoioers in a terminal globose or sub- 

 globose umbel, or often inclining unilaterally, with a delicious fragrance having 

 much affinity to that of ripe oranges, thou;:,'b not exactly the same, and quite dif- 

 ferent from the scent of the Primrose, mostly lax, nodding or drooping, often par- 

 tially or entirely erect, on downy peduncles from -} an inch to 1 or 2 inches in 

 length, having a small, ovate orlanceolato-acuminate and keeled bract under each. 

 Calyx about 7 or S lines in length, pale yellowish or greenish, scarcely contracted 

 at the mouth, nearly ovate or somewhat campanulate, much inflated or ventricose. 

 shorter than the tube of the corolla and sitting very loosely around it, finely 

 pubescent all over, but not woolly as in the Primrose, much less deeply and pli- 

 cately angular, cleft scarcely above |^th of its length into 5 broad, ovate or round- 

 ish, obtuse, raiicronate segments, often a little acute and occasionally 2- or 

 3-toothed at the summit. Corolla variable in size, but in the normal form we are 

 describing mostly smaller than in the Primrose, the limb glabrous, cupped or con- 

 cave, rich golden-yellow, with a bright orange or fulvous spot at the base of each 

 segment, these last short, cordato-rotundate, not overlapping one another, the 

 eraargination rather obtuse, the tube slightly downy at top, with a thickened 

 glandular crown or jiim at the mouth, more conspicuous than in the Primrose. 

 Stamens with the two modes of insertion observable in the Primrose. Style 

 slightly hairy, stouter, sometimes thickened in the lower half. Germen much 

 larger and broader, more depressed or less conical. Capsule much shorter than 

 the loosely investing persistent calyx, broadly elliptical, thin and brittle, many- 

 ribbed, opening at the summit by about 10 (often more or less) strongly recurved 

 unequal teeth. Seeds angular, very unequal and irregular in size and shape, 

 yellowish gray thickly sprinkled with black depressed points, becoming at length 

 deep rusty brown, rough, cellular and furfuraceous on the surface. 



The smell of the flowers of the Cowslip have much affinity with odour of the 

 fresh rind of ripe oranges, though not exactly the same. Linnjeus observes that 

 the roots have an anisate flavour; they certainly possess a sweet and somewhat 

 aromatic odour. The flowers, as well as those of the Primrose, are sometimes 

 made an ingredient of puddings, and those of the former enter into the composi- 

 tion of a well-known home-made wine. 



The Primrose and the Cowslip are objects dear alike to the heart of childhood 

 and to maturer years, but when transplanted into the garden it is hardly possible 

 to preserve either in the native elegance and simplicity so captivating in their 

 wild condition. Richness of soil soon converts the modest Primrose and the fra- 

 grant golden-eyed Cowslip into the flaunting and gaudy Polyanthus, where depth 

 and variety of colouring but ill supply the grace and simplicity for which they 

 have been exchanged. 



II. Lysimachia, Linn. Loose-strife. 



" Calyx 5-partite. Corolla rotate. Stigmas 5 — 6, not distinctly 

 hairy, sometimes with alternating sterile filaments. Capsuje 

 1-ceUed, 5—10 valved."— 5r. Fl. 



* Flowers panicled. Stem erect. 



1. L. vulgaris, L. Great Yellow Loose-strife. " Leaves oppo- 

 site or whorled 3 or 4 together nearly sessile ovate or ovato- 



