OBSERVATIONS OX INDIAN PRIMULAS. 



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2. Leaves puberulous or tomentose, rotund, and possessed of distinct 

 petioles. The examples are P. reticulata, P. rotundifolia, P. Gambleiana, 

 P. Forbesii, P. Listen, P. vaginata, P. mollis, and P. geraniifolia. 



I desire to bring before you only the more striking facts of the 

 classification with a view to establishing general principles that I think 

 may be of practical value. No single character in the above diagnostic 

 separation would by itself be of any real value, but when taken in the 

 aggregate they are of great assistance. For example, were we to simplify 

 the above into glabrous and puberulous forms we should instantly meet 

 with numerous stumbling-blocks. I need but mention that P. reticulata, 

 P. rotundifolia, and P. Gambleiana are often almost glabrous. So 

 again leaves spathulate and leaves petiolate would be useless characters 

 by themselves, since, as I have just said, both conditions may be met 

 with on one and the same plant. Still again, flowers solitary or flowers 

 umbellate would be quite misleading, since both these conditions may be 

 seen on the same root. But when we speak of umbellate Primroses with 

 pilose rotund petiolate leaves, we indicate a readily recognisable and 

 perfectly natural series, a series that embraces many of the most charming- 

 cultivated plants that exist. I need but mention the Chinese Primrose, 

 with its endless varieties and races, and the urticating P. obconica, to 

 instantly bring to your minds plants that would fall into this position. 

 I am on dangerous ground, however, when I venture to speculate, before 

 an assembly of practical men, as to what has been done or cannot be 

 done by hybridisation. I feel that I am, however, safe in saying that it 

 would be most surprising to learn that P. sinensis had been successfully 

 crossed with P. farinosa or even with P. petiolaris. 



In Kashmir, Mr. C. B. Clarke collected the plant that now bears his 

 name. It is the most Western member of what I should like to call the 

 Indian sinensis series, but it is not pilose-tomentose. In Sikkim, Manipur, 

 and the Naga hills P. Listeri occurs, in Bhutan P. filipes, and in the 

 Shan States P. Forbesii — a species suspiciously like some of the hairy 

 forms of Androsace. These all possess subrotund, cordate, pilose- 

 tomentose leaves. The inflorescence is a lax-flowered umbel (often ver- 

 ticillate) with long spreading pedicels, and the calyx loose campanulate 

 with broad teeth. That description may have again called to mind P. 

 obconica, and it is undoubtedly a close ally of the series. Fortunately, 

 none of our Indian examples have, however, the evil reputation of that 

 plant, but P. Listeri has a most remarkable smell that brings to mind 

 the odour of Geranium Bobertianum. 



From these, the transition passes (possibly through P. vaginata) easily 

 enough to P. mollis and P. geraniifolia. And these little-known but 

 charming Indian species at once suggest the European P. cortusoides, 

 the Turkestan P. Kaufmanni, as also the Chinese P. sinensis. In fact, 

 some of the verticillate forms of sinensis even, are suspiciously like 

 hybrids with P. mollis. 



This, then, is our specially Eastern series of Primroses. A few years 

 ago hardly any of them were known. I believe I was the 'first to find 

 P. Listeri in Sikkim. The year following I carried its habitat further 

 to the East by finding it in Manipur and the Naga hills. It has since 

 been found in Upper Burma, and I should not be surprised to learn that 



