PRIMULA CONFERENCE. 



103 



survived through the winter and are coming into flower again. It is 

 worthy of mention that some of my plants of this variety flowered 

 two or three times last season. 



P. algida is a native of the colder parts of Europe and seems to be a 

 species very nearly akin to P. farinosa. The leaves are very sharply 

 toothed. (Fig. 22.) 



P. stricta is simply a smaller farinosa. It is a native of Sub-Arctic 

 Europe. The leaves are denticulate, the teeth being rounded. The 

 under side of the leaves is not mealy as in P. farinosa. It has a pale 

 pink flower. 



P. longi flora is a native of South-Eastern Europe and flourishes 

 particularly in the Carpathians, the Balkans, and the Caucasus. It 

 carries an umbel of lilac-coloured flowers, and is distinguished by the 

 great length of the corolla; which is about three times the length of 

 the calyx. The pale green denticulated leaves are about 2| inches 

 long, and from J to ij inch broad, oblong-ovate, slightly crenate and 

 mealy on the under side. (Fig. 23.) 



P. frondosa (fig. 24) is a Balkan plant. The true P. frondosa, Janka, 

 is said to be a very rare plant and not the P. frondosa of gardens. I 

 have examined one of Janka's type specimens and think the species 

 is founded on very mature plants which had lost their mealiness. 

 When the species we know as P. frondosa is grown in shade and 

 fully developed, it agrees in every particular with Janka's specimen, 

 and I cannot see for my part that there is any real distinction between 

 them. We can only describe P. frondosa as a large form of P. farinosa. 



P. sibirica is distributed in all parts of Northern Eurasia. It is a 

 variable plant and useful on account of its hardiness. It throws 

 up spikes which carry pale lilac or rose-coloured flowers. It is of easy 

 culture and increases rapidly. 



All the plants in this section I grow on the rockery in ordinary 

 loam, taking care that they do not lack moisture during the growing 

 season. 



Section Auricula 



is by far the most important, as, with the exception of the few 

 species grouped under Vernales and Farinosae, it embraces all the 

 European Primulas. In dealing with this section I follow Pax who 

 divides it into seven subsections : 



Subsection (1); Euauricula.— Foliage fleshy, entire or dentate. 

 Bracts short and broad, calyx short, flowers yellow. 



Under this subsection come P. Auricula and P. Palinuri. 



P. Auricula is a well-known plant in gardens but the wild form 

 is not so often seen in this country. Several modifications have 

 resulted from its cultivation and changed geographical conditions. 

 By nature it flourishes best, where it is most at home, amongst the 

 limestone rocks of the Alps, the Apennines, and the Carpathians. 

 In the wild state the flowers are comparatively small, but under 



