OBSERVATIONS ON INDIAN PRIMULAS. 



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met with in dry shade, such as under shelving rocks in Rhododendron 

 glades. It is a delightful plant, growing in fairly large clusters, each 

 stem being embraced near the ground by large sulphurous scales. 

 The under-surfaces of the leaves, as also the petioles, are coated with 

 white farina. Petioles long, erect, the scapes nearly double the height 

 of the leaves, becoming from 6 to 9 inches in height, and bearing two 

 whorls of bright purple-pink flowers with strongly marked yellow 

 throats, and faintly but sweetly perfumed. Professor Balfour writes 

 me that they have had it growing in Edinburgh for the past couple of 

 years. It grows freely in pots, and promises to be an acquisition. 



Its nearest ally, P. Gambleiana, occurs at slightly higher altitudes, 

 but is confined to Sikkim. It is a superb species, found growing almost 

 epiphytically on banks of damp moss. Flowers large, purple-pink with 

 yellow throats, constricted and annulated. 



P. reticulata is the link of connexion with the Purpurea series of 

 Primulas. It is in fact much like a small form of P. sikkimensis, with 

 distinctly petiolate oblong cordate leaves, the scape relatively much 

 elongated, the corolla tubes narrow, much-exserted mouth, not 

 annulated, and the fruit ovoid, contained within the calyx. Professor 

 Balfour informs me that in the Edinburgh Botanic Gardens they have 

 not made much use of this plant. It has been grown for years, and is 

 as easy of cultivation as P. sikkimensis. 



But I have said enough. I have established fairly satisfactorily the 

 existence of a Sikkim series of round-leaved puberulous Primroses that 

 becomes still further elaborated in the mountains of Southern and 

 South-Western China. I have also indicated an Indian series of 

 glabrous rotund-leaved species. It is significant how persistently 

 the presence or absence of hairs on the leaves points to their origin. 

 Given a glabrous Indian Primrose, and I should almost from that 

 circumstance alone hazard the opinion that it had most probably 

 come from the N.W. Himalaya. If this is a mere coincidence it is 

 one that runs parallel with many others. The peculiarity suggested 

 may of course be indicative of climatic influence, but, whatever its 

 cause, it in many cases denotes forms that may be grown successfully 

 out of doors in England, whereas the hairy species almost invariably 

 require glass. " 



6. Floribunda. — There is very little to say regarding this group 

 further than has been already observed. They have the leaves 

 conduplicate in vernation. They would appear to be the warm 

 temperate Primulas, and to be more African and Arabian than Indian. 

 In passing it may be observed that in the classification of geographical 

 areas pursued at Kew, a portion of India is placed along with North 

 Africa and the Orient, namely Baluchistan and Afghanistan. That is 

 the very region where the Primulas of this section attain their highest 

 development. P. floribunda occurs in clefts on damp rocks from 

 Kumaon to Simla and Kashmir, at altitudes from 3,500 to 6,000 feet. 

 In its area, however, the altitude is gradually lowered on passing 

 westward, until in the Northern Punjab it occurs almost at the level 

 of the plains. And what is perhaps more significant still, with the 



