104 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 



cultivation the scape often carries a big head of large -sized flowers. 

 The leaves may be farinose or not. In form they are roundly- 

 obovate, obovate or oblong lanceolate, glabrous on both sides with 

 a narrow glandular margin which may be entire or denticulate. 

 There are several varieties and forms, the most important being var. 

 albocincta or albomarginata. The leaves of this variety are densely 

 covered with farina, the margin being very distinctly marked with a 

 white rim. This plant should be grown under glass to show its true 

 character. 



Forma monacensis is a strong grower, showing complete indifference 

 to situation though with regard to soil it is highly selective, and 

 has a decided preference for limestone. Its leaves are narrowly 

 oblong and their length is about three times their breadth. 



Forma serratifolia. — Foliage roundly obovate. Sharply and 

 deeply serrate-dentate. 



Forma exscapa, with no scape. 



var. Obristii yields odorous flowers of a beautiful deep golden 

 colour. Its leaves are glandular and surrounded with a mem- 

 branous rim, the margin of which is hairy. The calyx and 

 pedicels are farinose. 



var. ciliata is the bellunensis and Balbisii of commerce. It is 

 analogous to Obristii in respect of its beauty and small size, 

 but in other points it is so clearly distinct that there is little 

 difficulty in differentiating it. The plant is without farina. 

 The leaves have a cartilaginous margin, glandulose, the 

 pilose margin densely ciliate with long hairs. The flowers~are 

 inodorous. 



var. V/idmerae, with thin hairy leaves destitute of farina. 



The second species, P. Palinnri, belongs to the Apennine regions 

 of Southern Italy. It shows a remarkable facility for growth. The 

 underground stem or rhizome is of wood and spreads itself over an 

 extensive area. The leaves are of large size, being both broad and 

 long. They are light green, fleshy, pliable, serrated at the margin 

 and quite devoid of farina. In shape they are obovate or oblong, 

 tapering off gradually to a petiole which varies considerably in length, 

 sometimes being very long. The scape is erect and towers well 

 above the enormous leaves, bearing at its summit an umbel of 

 flowers which vary in number, reaching in some cases a maximum 

 of forty. The flowers are borne on pedicels, the surface of which is 

 thickly covered with a white mealy powder. The outer bracts, which 

 are large and leafy, as well as the smaller inner ones, are also densely 

 farinose. The flowers are all produced on one side of the scape, and 

 present a drooping appearance. The calyx is covered with the same 

 mealy powder, and is cleft to almost half its depth. It is bell- 

 shaped, the lobes sharply pointed. The corolla stands well out 

 beyond the calyx, and is of an intense golden yellow colour. Primula 

 Palinuri does not bloom until it has attained a good size, but the 



