PRIMULA CONFERENCE. 



161 



their collector, Forrest. It was raised in 191 1. It is a splendid 

 species, enveloped in golden meal. This is the plant which Pax names 

 as var. simensis of P. nivalis, Pallas. In 1905 Messrs. Veitch introduced 

 a plant raised from Wilson's Chinese seeds under the name of P. 

 nivalis var. farinosa, Schrenk. It died out after flowering, Sir Harry 

 Veitch tells me. As true P. nivalis var. farinosa is not known to 

 occur nearer China than Turkestan and has a restricted area of distri- 

 bution, it is not likely that Wilson's plant was this microform — more 

 probably it was P. sinopurparea, Balf. fil. 



The Nivalis phylum appears otherwise in China in two species which 

 ask for the attention of horticulturists. P. calliantha, Franch., is a 

 superb species, of which Forrest sent home seeds, but the young plants 

 did not reach the stage of flower. More fortunate in its history is 

 P. pulchella, Franch., which Bees, Ltd., introduced in 191 1 from the 

 same source. So far it has proved less sensitive to our damp climate 

 than others of this section. P. pulchelloides, F. K. Ward, is a smaller 

 plant than P. pulchella, Franch., has smaller flowers and fewer of them. 

 It also is in cultivation — Bees, Ltd., the introducers in 1911 ; Kingdon 

 Ward the collector of the seeds. 



There is a wonderful plant of this section — P. albiflos, F. K. Ward 

 — growing on the lofty area about Atuntzu, on the Mekong-Salween 

 Divide. It has white flowers — a pair of them at the end of the scape. 

 This is a plant of which we may hope Kingdon Ward will obtain 

 seeds during his present journey. 



Then I must not omit to mention here — for it is apparently a 

 member of the Nivalis section — P. Purdomi, Veitch, which at the 

 moment of writing I only know by the figure and account of it in the 

 gardening papers. 



Chinese Species of the Nivalis Section. 

 Blue and purple flowers. White flowers. 



P. calliantha, Franch. P. albiflos, F. K. Ward 



P. pulchella, Franch. (fig. 66) 

 P. pulchelloides, F. K. Ward (fig. 67) 

 P. Purdomi, Veitch (fig. 68) 

 P. sinoplantaginea, Balf. fil. 

 P. sinopurpurea, Balf. fil. 



Section Maximowiczii. 



The Nivalis section has developed a distinct race in North China, 

 typified in P. Maximowiczii, Regel, and characterized by a greater 

 restraint in the flower-development. The flowers are smaller in all parts ; 

 the calyx is no longer the prominent dark-coloured envelope, and the 

 corolla- lobes have become narrow and are re flexed at full anthesis. 

 There are three species which have been at times looked upon as forms 

 of one. P. Maximowiczii, Regel, is in cultivation. It was raised in 

 1906 by Messrs. Veitch from seed collected by Wilson. It is a rich 



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