THE PRIMROSE FAMILY 
2 7 
Rare, local. In mountain pastures ; not uncommon in the north of England, abundant in some 
parts of the Lake district, rare in Scotland, and not recorded from Ireland. June — July. 
Perennial. 
5. Scottish Bird’s-eye Primrose. (Prim'ula scot'ica. Hook.)— A very similar species 
to the last, but easily distinguished from it : the flowers are a deeper blue-purple, the corolla- 
lobes broader, touching one another ; the leaves are broader and oblong ; and the whole plant is 
much smaller, the flower-stalks not more than 4 or 5 inches high. An interesting characteristic 
of this plant, which is never observed in Primula farinosa, is that though the stamens vary in 
length the styles vary with them. 
Very rare, local. Sandy heaths in the Orkney Isles, Sutherland, and Caithness. May — September. 
Perennial. 
II. WATER VIOLET. (HOTTON'IA. Linn.) — A genus consisting of 2 species only, the one 
native to Great Britain and the other to North America. 
Flowers lilac or white, clustered in circles (whorls) round the stalk, forming erect clusters 
(racemes). Calyx of 5 sepals united at the base, entirely free from and inserted below the seedcase 
(inferior) ; corolla of 5 petals, salver-shaped, united into a short tube and spreading into a 
flat 5-lobed limb, inserted below the seedcase (hypogynous) ; stamens 5, varying in length as in 
the Primula ; carpels 5, the style varying in length as in the Primula; fruit a round 1 -celled, many- 
seeded capsule, opening by 5 valves, which remain united at the top and the base and only open 
down the sides. Water plants with submerged, finely divided leaves. 
Water Violet. (Hotton'ia palus'tris. Linn.) — A very beautiful water plant, as 
just described, with lilac flowers, f inch across, with a yellow eye, 3-8 in circles (whorls) 
up the long, round, solitary leafless stem (scape), which rises from the centre of a whorl of entirely 
submerged leafy branches, the leaves being crowded, alternate, deeply and finely lobed towards 
the midrib (pinnatifid). [ Plate 9. 
Rare, local. In ponds, ditches, and dykes, widely though sparsely distributed over England, 
very rare in the western counties, not found in Scotland, and only recorded from Co. Down 
in Ireland. May — June. Perennial. 
♦III. CYCLAMEN. Linn. — Flowers drooping, purplish, lilac, crimson, pink, or white, 
generally with deep crimson spots at the base of the lobes, solitary, terminating long leafless 
stalks (scapes), which twist spirally when in fruit. Calyx deeply 5-lobed, entirely free from and 
inserted below the seedcase (inferior) ; corolla with a short bell-shaped tube and 5 long reflexed 
twisted lobes, inserted below the seedcase ; stamens 5 ; carpels 5 ; fruit a round, fleshy capsule, 
1 -celled and many-seeded, opening at the top by 5 valves. Herbs with the leaves on long stalks, 
all from the root, broad, often marked with pale green or white ; and with large tuber-like 
underground stems. 
Ivy-leaved Sow-bread, Ivy-leaved Cyclamen. (Cyc lamen hedersefolium. Aiton.) 
— The only species found in Great Britain, but not a native. As just described. The 
solitary flowers are white or pink on stalks 4-9 inches long ; the leaves, which are produced after 
the flowers, are heart-shaped (cordate), slightly angular, toothed, of a shining dark green 
with wavy white markings ; and the enlarged underground stem is brown, broadly turnip-shaped, 
and intensely acrid. ( Cyclamen europaum. Linn.) [. Plate g. 
Very rare. In woods and on banks in Kent, Sussex, and Surrey. August — September. 
Perennial. 
