|» PR1MULA Acavu 
PRIMULA. Linn. Gen. PL PENTANDRIA 
Involucr. Umbellule. 
LIS PRIMROSE. 
MOoNOGYNIA. ah 
Corolle tubus cylindricus: ore patulo. 
Raw Syn. Gem. 18. HERBAS FRUCTU SICCO SINGULARI FLORE MONOPETALO. - 
PRIMULA zcau/;; folus rugofis, dentatis, fubtus hirfutis ; fcapis unifloris. Facg. Mic. Aujir. p. 158. 
PRIMULA vulgaris folus dentatis rugofis fcapo fubunifloro, limbo corollz plano. 
ed. 9 
Hudf. Fi. Angl. 
ed, 2. p. 89. 
PRIMULA folis dentatis rugofis pedunculis radicalibus unifloris, limbo corollarum plano. Kram. 
Elench. p. 42. | 
PRIMULA veris var y acaulis, {capo nullo. 
FL Suec. 171. 
PRIMULA J/veffris. 
Linn, Sp. Pl p. 204. Syft. Vegetab. ed. 14. Murr. p. 192. 
Scopoli Fl. Carn. n. 204. 
PRIMULA folis hirfutis, rugofis, dentatis; fcapis unifloris, Haller Hi/?. n. 608. 
VERBASCULUM fylvarum majus fingulari flore. Bauh. Pin. 241. 
PRIMULA veris pallido flore humilis. 
PRIMULA veris minor. Ger. Her. 636. 
PRIMULA veris vulgaris. Park. Th. $. 595. 
Gluf. Hift. p. 302. 
Rat Syn. 5. 284. Common Primrofe. 

RADIX perennis, obliqua, premorfa, fquamis craffis 
rubentibus a folus preteritis reliétis obtecta ; 
emittens fibras copiofas, prelongas, teretes 
albidas. Odor fingularis fere anifi. 
3 
CAULIS nullus. 
FOLIA fubpalmaria, ereétiufcula, oblongo-ovata, bafi 
attenuata, obtufa, venofa, rugofa, fupra levia, 
fubtus hirfuta, margine parum revoluta, leviter 
undulata, ineequaliter crenata; cofta albida, 
in petiolum canaliculatum carinatum ruben- 
tem definente. 
STIPUL fubunciales, acuminate, ad bafin pedun- 
culorum. 
FLORES ere&i, numerofi, pallide fulphurei, majuf- 
culi, fuaveolentes. 
PEDUNCULI ereéti, folus paulo breviores, uniflori, 
teretes, hirfutj, pallide virentes, ex ipfa 
radice progredientes, poft florefcentiam de- 
flexi. 
CALYX: PerrantHium 1-phyllum, perfiftens, ob- 
longum, tubulofum, plicato-pentagonum, 
pilofum, 5-dentatum, dentibus acuminatis, 
apice inflexis, fig. 1. 
COROLLA monopetala, tubulofa; swdus cylimdra- 
ceus, calyce longior, ftriatus, nitidus, dméus 
quinquepartitus, patens, laciniis obcordatis, 
emarginatis, bafi macula ftelleformi flava 
notatis ; faux obfolete coronata, jig. 9. 
STAMINA : FiLAMENTA 5, breviffima, intra tubum 
corolle, fig. 4. aut ad faucem ejus pofita, 
jig. 9. AwTHERA& erettze, oblonge, flave, 
fubtrigonez, fig. 5. conniventes. 
PISTILLUM : Germen fuperum, fubglobofum, gla- 
] brum, fg. 6. STvrus filiformis, tubo ple- 
rumque brevior, fg. 7. Sticma globofum, 
Jg. 9. 
Primula veris appears to have been a kind of general, 
OO QOO DX WO Oe OC OO XO MO COWON OQ Oe OX Co DOOD DODO D9 DY 11 OM Co 
ROOT perennial, oblique, ftumped at the extremity, 
befet with thick reddifh fcales, the remains 
of the paft leaves, fending down numerous, 
very long, round, whitifh fibres; its {mell 
fingular, fomewhat like that of anife. 
STALK none. 
LEAVES about a hand's breath in length, nearly. 
upright, oblong-ovate, tapering to the bafe, 
blunt, veiny, wrinkled, fmooth above, hirfute 
beneath, the edge flightly rolled back, flightly 
waved, unequally notched, the midrib whitifh, 
terminating in a footftalk of a reddifh colour, 
hollow on one fide, and keeled on the other. 
STIPUL. about an inch in length, long-pointed, at 
the bafe of the flower-ftalks. 
FLOWERS upright, numerous, of a pale fulphur 
colour, rather large and fweet-fcented. — 
FLOWER-STALKS upright, a little fhorter than the 
leaves, one-flowered, round, hirfute, of a 
pale green colour, proceeding from the root 
itfelf, after the flowering is over, bending 
back. 
CALYX: a PertantTHium Of one leaf, permanent, 
oblong, tubular, folded, and forming five 
angles, hairy, 5-toothed, teeth long-pointed, 
| bending in at the tip, jg. 1. 
COROLLA monopetalous, tubular; the 74e cylin- 
drical, longer than the calyx, ftriated, and 
glofly ; 4m quinquepartite, fpreading, the 
legments obcordate, emarginate, marked at 
the bafe with a ftar-fhaped yellow fpot, the 
mouth marked with a faint rim, fg: 9. | 
STAMINA: five Fitaments, very fhort, placed 
either within the tube of the corolla, fig. 4. 
or at its mouth, fig. 3. ANTHER# upright, 
oblong, yellow, fomewhat three-corner’d, 
jig. 5. cloling together. 
J 
ó PISTILLUM : Geren above the bafe of the calyx, 
0 nearly globular, {mooth, fg. 6. Srvrzr fil 
Ü form, ufually fhorter than the tube, fg, 7. 
6 STIGMA round, jy. 8. 
or generic name given by many of the ancient Botanifls 
to the Primrofe, Cow/Zp, and Ox//p ; yet is moft applicable to the Primrofe, as a flower of the fpring; they 
regarded thefe plants as fo many diftin& fpecies, and fuch they were in general confidered till Linnaus 
ventured to maintain a contrary opinion, an opinion which comparatively fpeaking, few of his followers have 
acquiefced in: partial as we are to the tranfcendent merits of that great man, we cannot agree with him in this 
inftance, without deftroying, as we apprehend, all limits of fpecific diftinction. 
The moft ftriking charatier of the Primrofe confifts in its mode of flowering, each bloffom growing on a 
fingle peduncle, which fprings from the root; Linn aus afferts that the peduncles {pring from a fcapus, as in 
the Cowflip, though it be fo fhort as not to appear above ground, and from this circumftance principally, he 
maintains that the Primrofe 1s only a variety ; or, in other words, that the Primrofe, the Cowflp, and the Oxlip 
are one and the fame fpecies. 
We will not deny the exiftence of fuch a flalk as Linn aus defcribes; in examining a vaft number of thefe 
plants, we have found it in a few, but it certainly is not general in the wild plant; we are ready, however, to 
admit more than the exiftence of this fhort fcapus ; the plant when cultivated will fometimes throw up a ftalk : 
fimilar to that of the Polyanthus, and of this my very good friend Dr. Buxton, of Greenwich, has favoured 
me with a fbriking inftamce; Primrofes m their wild ftate introduced to his Garden at Maize-Hill, a few 
years fince, now produce flowers, both with and without a Ícapus, are indeed become, colour excepted, perfe& 
Polyanthufes ; in my own garden the white hofe in hofe Primrofe produces early in the fpring, flowers on 
peduncles, and afterwards flowers on a fcapus, or, to fpeak in the language of the florift, flowers in a trufs, 
but {till they have the foliage and the flowers of the true Primrofe; the Cowflip and the Oxlip, on the contrary, 
fometimes produce flowers.on peduncles, as well as on a fcapus, of which I now have alfo inftances in my garden; 
but 
