.XXXVI PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Scientific Committee, April 21. 



Dr. M. T. Masters, F.E.S., in the Chair, and eight members 



present. 



Primulas, Auricula x Alpine. — Mr. Douglas exhibited a very- 

 interesting collection of hybrid Primulas, between the " Show " 

 (P. auricula) and the " Alpine " (P. pubescens, according to Mr. 

 Baker). The former was the pod bearer. They were all raised 

 from the fruit of one truss, and presented a considerable amount 

 of variety in the foliage and the colours of the flowers. The 

 mealiness was much reduced, and indeed nearly absent from 

 the leaves. Two specimens exhibited curious abnormal con- 

 ditions upon which Dr. Masters will report. It was stated by 

 the late Mr. Shirley Hibberd, at the Primula Conference in 1886, 

 that in his opinion these two classes of Primula would not cross, 

 hut he observed that "no man was so competent" to experi- 

 mentise upon them as Mr. Douglas. He had thus completely 

 negatived Mr. Hibberd's surmise. 



The Bardfield Oxlip. — Mr. Henslow exhibited specimens of 

 this plant received from Mr. J. French, Felstead, Essex, with 

 a communication containing his observations on the variations 

 of plants under the influence of their environments. With 

 reference to the genus, Primula, he observes : " An instance of 

 * bog ' modification is that of the Bardfield Oxlip (P. clatior). 

 This in bog land would be unrecognisable to the ordinary observer. 

 There are acres of boggy pastures at Great Bardfield, where 

 every plant of this species has but one floret to each peduncle, 

 and a small rosette of leaves resembling Celandine more than 

 Primrose. The common Paigle (P. verts) lives in the same 

 meadows unchanged. It is, therefore, clearly in the capacity 

 of the Oxlip to be moulded by its environment alone." With 

 regard to hybridisation, Mr. French notices that while " Primroses 

 seed themselves tolerably well alone, and also remain constant, 

 or very nearly so [in a garden], as they do in the wild state, 

 when you put them in company with the Oxlips (unless I am 

 mistaken altogether in my observations) a different arrangement 

 will ensue. The Oxlips still remain unaltered, for the Bardfield 

 Oxlip cannot bo changed by crossing, whereas the Primrose 

 and Paigle arc both very unstable ; but the seedling Primroses 



