OBSERVATIONS ON INDIAN PRIMULAS. 



207 



them near to P. mollis and P. geraniifolia. But a closer inspection 

 reveals many peculiarities that justify their association with the 

 other capitate forms. The leaves are distinctly obovate-spathulate, 

 never rotund-petoliate. P. capitata has the flowers on the circum- 

 ference of the head deflexed, P. bellidijolia has the leaves softly pilose, 

 and P. sapphirina is very much like a diminutive P. soldanelloides. 

 The transition from the Denticulata into the Soldanelloides 

 series is, therefore, perfectly natural and in no way disturbs the 

 theory of affinities based on the shape of the leaf, nature of inflorescence, 

 peculiarities of the flower, and the condition of the bracts. 



I gave the name Soldanelloides as suggestive of their deflexed 

 and nodding flowers. I might have called them Cyclamenoides, for the 

 inverted attitude of the flower is perhaps more familiar in the Cyclamen. 

 The name Soldanella seemed to me, however, to have the additional 

 advantage of calling to mind their large convolvulately-shaped corollas. 

 In fact, for the size of the plant, the flowers in these Primroses are 

 exceptionally large and delightfully varied in colour. P. Reidii is 

 pale yellow, P. Wattii dark purple, P. uniflora pink to pale lilac, and 

 P. soldanelloides pure white. Until Mr. Duthie had the good fortune 

 to discover P. Reidii in Kumaon, and Mr. Lace to rediscover it in 

 Chamba State, all the members of the section were supposed to be 

 confined to Alpine Sikkim. None of them occurs much below 13,000 

 feet in altitude, and they are all remarkably scarce plants. There do 

 not appear to be any Primulas in Europe that could be referred to 

 this section ; and what is more surprising still, none has as yet been 

 found in China.* 



I have never had the good fortune to come across any of these 

 charming plants, so I cannot tell you of their habitats. But I believe 

 a rich field for the production of delightful Primroses awaits the 

 enterprise of whoever may successfully introduce two or more of these 

 plants into cultivation and cross-breed them. The ease with which, 

 I understand, P. Reidii has been cultivated recently in Edinburgh 

 as a pot plant bespeaks a hopeful future for its associates. It has 

 not as yet been established out of doors. By the by, P. uniflora 

 has frequently two or three flowers, one usually fully formed and the 

 other or others apetalous. P. soldanelloides seems to me perhaps 

 the most beautiful species of the series, though I am well pleased 

 with the lovely plant with which my friend Sir George King did 

 me the honour to associate my name. 



3. Rosea. — This might be spoken of as essentially a N.W. 

 Himalayan group. Four species are found within the country lying 

 between Kullu, Chamba, Hazara, Kashmir, Chitral, and Western 

 Tibet ; two are met with here and there from the extreme Western 

 to the Eastern Himalaya, and one is confined to Sikkim. The most 

 ready eye-mark for the members of this section is the much-elongated 

 few-flowered umbellate scape, the pedicels of which are embraced 

 by a i-seriate involucre of ascending (parallel) bracts that are spurred 



* But see p. 152 



