PKIMULA 



PBIMBOSE OBDEB 



PRIMULA 613 



P. obtusifolia. — A Himalayan speoiea, 

 with variable leaves 2-5 in. long, usually 

 blunt, and smooth or powdery beneath. 

 Flowers in May and June, ruby-red, 

 rarely yellow, in umbels on the top of the 

 scapes which are 6-10 in. high. 



Culture Sc. as above. Moist sandy 

 loam or peat in sheltered sunny parts of 

 the rockery. 



P. officinalis (P. veris). — Cowslip ; 

 Paigle. — A well-known British species 

 4-12 in. high. Leaves oblong spoon- 

 shaped, wrinkled, with winged stalks. 

 Flowers in April and May, bright yellow, 

 drooping, funnel-shaped. 



Culture dc. as above. In moist cool 

 borders or the edges of shrubberies, or 

 rockeries, woodland walks, banks &c. the 

 Cowslip may be appropriately grown. It 

 can be easily divided hke the Common 

 Primrose or Polyanthus. The latter is 

 supposed to be derived from it through a 

 form called variabilis. See Polyanthus 

 (p. 620). 



P. OlgcB. — A pretty species related to 

 the true P. nivalis, native of Turkestan. 

 Leaves ovate-oblong, with winged stalks, 

 smooth and shiny on both surfaces. 

 Flowers in spring, rosy-lilac or purple, 

 few on a scape 3-4 in. high. 



Culture dc. as above. Moist sandy 

 loam or peat in the rockery. 



P. Palinuri. — A vigorous Italian 

 species 6-9 in. high. Leaves broadly 

 spoon-shaped, smooth, sharply and un- 

 equally toothed, 3-4 in. long. Flowers 

 in April and May, bright yellow, funnel- 

 shaped, in a drooping umbel at the top of 

 a powdered scape, hke the Cowslip. 



Culture do. as above. Deep rich 

 sandy soil in corners of the rockery. 

 Easily increased by dividing the crowns 

 in spring. 



P. Parryi. — A beautiful Eocky Moun- 

 tain Primrose 6-18 in. high. Leaves 

 erect, narrowly oblong-obovate, bluntish, 

 tapering to a broad stalk, obscurely 

 toothed or entire, 5-9 in. long. Flowers 

 in spring, about 1 in. across, bright purple 

 with a yellow centre, 12 or more on stout 

 scapes about 1 ft. high. 



CuUu/re do. as above. Flourishes in 

 very moist sandy loam and peat, and 

 requires partial shade from the hot 

 summer sun. 



P. pedemontana. — A beautiful species 

 about 6 in. high, native of Piedmont, and 



closely related to P. viscosa. Leaves 

 oblong or ovate, slightly toothed with 

 fringed edges. Flowers in spring, rosy- 

 purple, with a yellowish-white centre, in 

 dense heads on scapes 2-4 in. high. 



Culture dc. as above. Bich moist 

 sandy loam in the rookery or border. 

 May be increased by division. 



P. petiolaris. — A very variable Prim- 

 rose, native of the Himalayas at an 

 elevation of 9000-11,000 ft. It has 

 stalkless oblong or spoon-shaped leaves, 

 and produces lilac-purple flowers about 

 1 in. across, with a white and yeUow eye, 

 during the winter months, the petals 

 being obcordate and toothed on the 

 margins. The variety nana is a dwarf 

 form with very short flower-stalks. 



Culture and Propagation. — Although 

 a hardy and very free-flowering species, 

 the flowers unfortunately are produced 

 during the worst season of the year, when 

 they are apt to be spoiled by frost. This 

 however may be prevented by covering 

 the plants with handlights, or a sheet of 

 glass supported by a couple of pieces of 

 wire. From May to October the plants 

 must be kept in a damp and shaded part 

 of the garden, although they cannot have 

 too much sun during our cheerless winters. 

 The seeds should be sown as soon as ripe, 

 and the plants are perhaps on the whole 

 best grown in pots so that they can be 

 readily moved as required. 



P. pinnatifida. — A Chinese species 

 with long-stalked ovate or oblong pin- 

 nately cut leaves. Flowers in July, violet, 

 with entire lobes, and a long cylindrical 

 tube. 



Culture dc. as above. Moist sandy 

 soil in cool shady parts of the rockery. 



P. Plantae. — A hybrid between P. vis- 

 cosa hi/rsuta and P. daonensis, with 

 tufted rosettes of ovate pointed, finely 

 toothed leaves, covered vfith. brownish 

 hairs. Flowers in April and May, rosy- 

 ptirple. 



Culture dc. as above. Rich moist 

 sandy loam in the rockery. 



P. Poissoni. — A distinct species native 

 of N. China. Leaves oblong lance-ehaped, 

 4-6 in. long, slightly wavy, sharply 

 toothed. Flowers in June and July, 

 about 1 in. across, deep purple with a 

 bright yeUow centre, 6-8 in whorls on 

 the upper portion of a stout scape 6-10 in. 

 high. 



