PRIMULA CONFERENCE. 



I8 3 



against its dark foliage. Like all sub-shrubby alpines, the branches 

 are disposed to die off at the tip, but healthy shoots rapidly replace 

 them. It was introduced in 18S4. 



American Species of the Cunei folia Section. 

 P. Ritsbyi, Greene 

 P. saxifragi folia, Lehmann 

 P. suffruiescens. A. Gray (fig. 86) 



Section Nivalis. 



All the other species of American Primulas are placed in the widely 

 spread section Nivalis. P. nivalis, Pallas, itself does not occur, but in 

 the subarctic and arctic area it is represented by its dwarf microform 

 P. pumila, Pax, and that is really the only form of it on the American 

 continent. In P. eximia, Greene, the type is represented in the Aleutian 

 and Pribilof Islands and this form extends also into Japan. Thus in 

 this section as well as in the Cuneifolia section we have a remarkable 

 geographical connexion of the Primulas of America with those of Asia- 

 P. Macounii, Greene, confined to St. Paul — one of the Pribilof Islands — 

 is hardly separable from P. eximia, Greene. On the south-eastern 

 area of the Rocky Mountains two species — P. Cusickiana, A. Gray, and 

 P. angustifolia, Torr. — are found. Possibly they do not belong to 

 the Nivalis section at all. They are rare species and are not in cultiva- 

 tion. But in this Nivalis section the glory of all the North American 

 species of Primula is found — P. Parryi, A. Gray. It is a noble plant, 

 which, like all the Nivalis forms, is difficult to keep. Its habitat is 

 a wet one. It grows along the margins of alpine brooks near the 

 snow-line through the higher rocky mountains from Colorado through 

 Nevada and Arizona. It was introduced so long ago as 1875 by Messrs. 

 Backhouse, of York, and under its figure in the " Botanical Magazine " 

 for 1875 is described as the handsomest Primula ever introduced, with 

 the exception of P. japonica, A. Gray. I could wish it were as easily 

 grown as P. japonica, A. Gray. The difficulty seems to be to keep the 

 requisite amount of moisture about the roots without stagnation. At 

 Edinburgh it has not grown well, and we have only seen there a 

 suggestion of what it should be. 



American Species of the Nivalis Section. 

 P. angustifolia, Torr P. Macounii, Greene 



P. Cusickiana, A. Gray P. Parryi, A. Gray 

 P. eximia, Greene P. pumila, (Ledeb.) Pax 



In the photographs used in illustration of this story I am 

 indebted to Mr. Robert Edam, the skilful artist on my staff. All the 

 plants represented flower in the Royal Botanic Gardens. To the 

 Director and staff at Kew I owe thanks for special assistance 

 in the preparation of dates of introduction of species, and Sir Harry 

 Veitch has been so good as to supply me with information regarding 

 the share of his firm in bringing in new species. 



