NAT. ORDER. PRIMULACE^. 
29 
times folded as well as notched, stronger, of a deeper green, not 
running so tapering at the base, covered on the under side with 
shorter and softer hairs ; the petioles smoother, whitish, with scarcely 
any red in them ; the scapes few, three or four times longer than the 
leaves, round, upright, pale, villose ; the involucre at the base of the 
umbel, surrounding the peduncles, consisting of many very small, 
concave, pale, acuminate leaflets ; the flowers are in an umbel, une- 
qually-pedicelled, hanging down, generally to one side, full yellow, 
with an orange-colored blotch at the base of each segment, contracted 
about the middle of the tube, where the stamens are inserted, paler 
underneath, very fragrant. It is a native of Europe and the United 
States, 
The fragrant flowers of this plant make a pleasant wine, ap- 
proaching in flavor to the muscadel wines of the south of France, 
and is generally supposed to possess a somniferous quality. 
Primula farinosa — Bird's-eye Primrose. This species has a 
perennial root, somewhat prsemose, with numerous long, perpendic- 
ular fibres, and sweet-scented ; the leaves obovate-lanceolate, bright 
green, smooth and even, thickish, here and there turned back on the 
edges, underneath veined and powdered with white meal ; the scape 
is about six inches in height, far exceeding the leaves, round, upright, 
stilf, and straight, of a pale green color, and mealy ; flowers sweet- 
scented, of a purple yellow color, in an upright umbel, having at its 
base a many-leaved involucre, each leaflet of which is awl-shaped, 
and placed at the base of each peduncle. It is an elegant plant, and 
a native of the United States and many parts of Europe. It flow- 
ers in July and August. 
This plant varies greatly in point of size, in regard to its wild 
or uncultivated state ; wild it is found a foot and a half in height, 
and in the cultivated plant a tendency to become vi vaporous, which 
has been observed by Curtis, or to produce one or more tufts 
of leaves among the flowers of the umbel. In its wild state 
seeds readily, and frequently when cultivated ; the flowers also 
