106 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



confined to a narrow area in its distribution. It is found with a 

 common standard of perfection in all the mountainous parts of 

 Southern Europe, from the Pyrenees to the Rhaetian Alps. As the 

 area of distribution is large, the different districts naturally offer 

 very varying conditions of life, so that in this species particularly 

 the local varieties are extremely numerous and perplexing. The true 

 viscosa must not be confused with the viscosa of commerce, which I 

 find to be principally made up of varieties of P. hirsuta. It is 

 almost devoid of farina. The large leaves are from 2 to 7 inches long 

 and from J to 2 inches broad. They are subflaccid, yellowish 

 green, often rather curved, and emit a strong odour. In form the 

 leaves are oval or oblong-cuneate, gradually narrowing into the 

 petiole, either toothed or entire. The surface is densely covered 

 with colourless glands. The scape, from 2 to 7 inches high, carries 

 an umbel of odourless, reddish-violet flowers. The bracts are broadly 

 ovate and the calyx is bell-shaped. There are three forms, only 

 slightly distinguishable from one another. 



Forma pyrenaica, from the East Pyrenees. Leaves rather bigger 



and broader. With big teeth, bearing a great many flowers in 



umbel. 



Forma cynoglossifolia, from the Maritime Alps. Leaves smaller, 

 oval or oblong, entire or slightly toothed. (Fig. 28.) 



Forma graveolens, from the Engadine, at a great height. Leaves 

 still smaller, oblong or lanceolate, narrowed towards the base, 

 toothed from the middle to apex. 



Subsection (3), Arthritica. — The leaves of the plants of this sub- 

 section are firm, tough, shiny, entire and pointed. They have a gristly 

 margin. Thus they are well adapted for an exposed position. By 

 nature they court the full glare of the sun's rays and thrive well under 

 such conditions. The bracts are long and narrow. The calyx is long 

 and the flowers generally rose-coloured. 



P. spectabilis has brilliant green, glossy, non-pliant, viscid leaves, 

 with a very pronounced cartilaginous margin. In shape they are 

 oblong or rhomboid-oblong, entire. A very pronounced feature in 

 the architecture of the leaves of this species is the deep pitting easily 

 discernible on their upper surface. This pitting at once distinguishes 

 P. spectabilis from the other species in this sub-section. The flower 

 stem stands out well above the leaves and carries a larger or smaller 

 bunch of mauve-coloured flowers. (Fig. 29.) 



P. glaucescens (fig. 30) is P. calycina of commerce. This is another 

 species of the more vigorous and easily cultivated Primulas. It is found 

 almost exclusively on the southern slope of the Italian Alps. Owing 

 probably to the dissimilar physical conditions under which it is grown 

 in this country, it shows a remarkable variation in size. Under 

 favourable conditions it will produce a flower stem 5 inches long with 

 a leaf almost the same length. The smooth grey sea-blue leaves are 

 lanceolate or narrowly oblong and non-viscid. The cartilaginous rim 

 is of considerable breadth. The flowers are in colour rose, lilac, or 



