OBSERVATIONS ON INDIAN PRIMULAS. 



199 



allied than remote species. This at least is my apology for furnishing 

 the classification of the Indian Primroses that I now desire to place 

 before you. 



Classification of the Indian Primulas, 

 a. leaves revolute in vernation. 



(a) Flowers sessile (capitate). (When solitary the capitulate character 

 is presumed to be indicated by the position of the bract outside the calyx.) 



Section 1 : Denticulata. — Leaves thick, usually rugose and 

 glabrous (very rarely puberulous), oblong, spathulate, serrate, and 

 mealy. Inflorescence capitate, the flowers being relatively small and 

 mostly erect, sessile or nearly so, inserted on the top of a swollen 

 peduncle, but in number from one to many. Corolla, tube narrow 

 subcylindrical, lobes bifid. Bracts one to each flower, the outermost 

 gibbous, but they do not form a 1 -seriate whorl, nor are they retained 

 in an attitude parallel to each other, but when the flowers are solitary 

 the bracts are usually very large (see P. muscoides). 



* North-West Himalayan Forms. 



1 (6).* P. denticulata, Smith; Afghanistan, Kashmir, to Sikkim, Bhutan, 

 Khasia and Shan hills. 



2 (7). P. farinosa, Linn. ; Western Tibet and Chamba, 12-17,000 feet. Is 

 allied to but distinct from P. viagellanica.) 



3. P. Heydei, Watt; Western Tibet and Chamba, 12-14,000 feet. (Creeps 

 by means of stolons and has a distinct peduncle). 



4. P. minutissima, Jacquem. ; Baltistan, Kashmir, to Kumaon, 12-16,000 

 feet. 



** Eastern and Central Himalayan Forms. 



5 (1). P. capitata, Hook. ; Sikkim and Bhutan 12-15,000 feet. (An East 

 Himalayan species closely allied to and possibly only an alpine state of P. 

 denticulata.) 



6 (1). P. erosa, Wall.; Kumaon and Bhutan; not seen in Sikkim. (A 

 form of P. denticulata with very large thin erose leaves.) 



7 (2). P. bellidifolia, King; Sikkim, 13,000 feet. (Might almost be spoken 

 of as a large condition of P. farinosa.) 



8. P. glabra, Klatt ; Sikkim, 13-15,000 feet. 



9. P. pusill.a, Wall. ; Nepal and Sikkim, 13-16,000 feet. (Bracts leafy, 

 glandular, mouth of corolla densely woolly.) 



10. P. sapphirina, Hook. f. ; Sikkim, 13-15,000 feet. 



11. P. muscoides, Hook. f. ; Sikkim, 15,000 feet. 



Section 2 : Soldanelloides. — Leaves thin, softly pilose linear 

 obovate-spathulate, often suddenly cuneate to a winged petiole, 

 deeply and irregularly serrate on upper two-thirds of length, never 

 mealy. Inflorescence capitate, but mostly with few or even solitary 

 flowers, which are quite sessile and deflexed or nodding. Corolla 

 large, almost convolvulate in shape ; petals usually emarginate and 

 toothed. Calyx forming conspicuous masses, short but broad, almost 



* Numbers shown within brackets denote closely allied or doubtfully distinct 

 species. 



