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KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



tion,we perceive that the throat of the corolla, 

 above the insertion of the stamens, has a 

 little border of five rounded parts placed 

 alternately between the petals and stamens, 

 and unquestionably representing an inter- 

 mediate circle of abortive stamens, which by 

 pressure is amalgamated with the corolla. In 

 the poorest primroses the stamens are lowest 

 in the tube, and the border of the eye is 

 least developed : hence the enlarged full 

 throat and the thumb-eye are approved by 

 florists in all the primrose tribe, in the 

 auricula and polyanthus as well as the 

 primrose itself. 



As we have here proposed a theory to ex- 

 plain the peculiar position of the stamens in 

 the primrose tribe, we will mention in justi- 

 fication of it, that in some species of Lysi- 

 machia, the loose- strife, w T hich belongs to 

 the same tribe, the five additional organs are 

 seen as a set of pointed filaments more or 

 less approaching the aspect of stamens, 

 inserted between the petals ; and in another 

 genus, Samolus, they evidently resemble 

 barren or imperfect stamens in the same po- 

 sition. The five carpels cohere so completely 

 to their very points, as to form an ovate seed- 

 vessel with a pin-shaped pistil, appearing 

 like a single organ. The coherence being by 

 the edges of the carpellary leaves, the capsule 

 is one- celled ; but what is very remarkable, 

 the seeds, instead of appearing along the line 

 of junction of the pieces, as in the violet, are 

 on the surface of a central receptacle forming 

 a sort of knob. The usual explanation of this 

 structure is, that only the lower part of the 

 carpellary leaf is allowed to perfect its germs ; 

 and that these lower seed-bearing portions 

 unite into the central receptacle, while the 

 remaining portion of the leaves forms the 

 seed-vessel. 



This explanation is far from being satis- 

 factory ; and we are tempted to suppose that 

 the receptacle is a prolongation of the axis 

 of the flowers, that the outer circle of car- 

 pellary leaves produces no germs, but merely 

 forms the envelope, whilst each leaf on the 

 produced axis, instead of becoming a carpel, 

 becomes a germ. In fact, if we properly 

 seize and follow out analogies, the rudiment 

 within the seed is a sort of bud, and the seed- 

 case a transformation of its accompanying 

 leaf. Some eminent botanists maintain, that 

 in all cases the seed really proceeds from the 

 axis, not from the border of the leaf. But 

 there are sufficient instances in nature of 

 actual buds being produced on leaves, and 

 in a large class of seed-vessels we take the 

 explanation of the seeds being borne on the 

 margin of the carpels to be indisputable ; 

 we must, however, acknowledge that there is 

 no reason why they should not be also pro- 

 duced, like the majority of common buds, 

 upon the axis, and we therefore make it our 



inquiry, which view can be best supported in 

 each particular case ? Now there are mon- 

 strosities of the primrose tribe, in which the 

 seeds are actually transformed into small 

 leaves ; and from these we are disposed to 

 conclude that in this tribe the circle of carpels 

 only protects a terminal portion of the axis 

 on which all the leaves become seeds. We 

 are here leading our readers into one of the 

 difficult questions of theoretical botany; 

 but it is curious and interesting, and if, as we 

 hope, we have made our meaning intelligible, 

 they will not be sorry to see how different 

 botany is from a mere science of names, and 

 how much there is to think upon — what 

 various evidence must be weighed, before we 

 understand the structure of a very simple 

 flower. 



If any of our readers should compare our 

 description of the primrose with those which 

 occur in books, they will remark material 

 differences in the language employed. We 

 have recognised five sepals and five petals 

 cohering together ; a point which we cannot 

 but think very important ; yet, not to refer- 

 to older or less eminent writers, Dr. Lindley, 

 in describing the tribe for his Vegetable King- 

 dom, though really taking in these particulars 

 the view of the structure which we have 

 given, calls the calyx Jive-cleft, and the corolla 

 monopetalous — language which implies the 

 singleness of the organ, instead of the union 

 of its pieces ; and in the eighth part of De 

 Candolle's Prodromus, the very work (con- 

 tinued by his son since his death) of the great 

 reformer of our ideas and language on these 

 subjects, the learned author of the article on 

 the Primrose tribe, Duby, not only every- 

 where uses the common inaccurate language, 

 but is guilty of employing the term monope- 

 talous, though his eminent master adopted the 

 name sepals for the leaves of the calyx, ex- 

 pressly in order to get rid of the misleading 

 term, one-leaved, and to make it easy to mark 

 the real structure, whether the sepals in the 

 particular case should be distinct, or in 

 various degrees united. We hope to be ex- 

 cused for endeavoring to correct these over- 

 sights of distinguished men, and using words 

 that convey at once the acknowledged truths. 

 Well-instructed men of science are not misled 

 by language which is common, though founded 

 on opinions now abandoned ; but if we want 

 to make the truths of science generally intel- 

 ligible and interesting, we must adopt terms 

 that cannot be mistaken. 



The primrose varies in color to white, lilac, 

 various reddish or purple shades, and a deep 

 rich crimson. The best of these colors have 

 also been obtained double, and are beautiful 

 and favorite garden flowers. Linn^us 

 thought the primrose, the oxlip, and the 

 | cowslip, only varieties of one species, and 

 I forms are to be met with which almost seem 



