April 8, 1886. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
275 
few better repay for any little extra attention than this little 
gem. Like all the others that require bog treatment, the leaves 
die daring winter, leaving buds as in involucrata, but, unlike 
that species, P. rosea pushes up the flower stem first, many of 
the blooms being full open before the leaves show any sign of 
unfolding. During the growing season, and indeed all through 
the year, it requires plenty of water. Those found in the Kulu 
district eastward of Afghanistan were growing by the sides of 
streamlets, with their long white stringy roots far in the water. 
The best plants we have seen have been in swampy places fully 
exposed, besides its being a week or two earlier than in the ordinary 
border. It is very easily propagated, each bud or crowning 
forming a separate plant, readily detached from the others, it 
can also be raised from seed, which ripen freely in this country, 
and as it seems inclined to vary the latter may not be the least pro¬ 
fitable means of increase. The flower stems vary from 2 to 6 
inches in height, carrying about a dozen flowers in a close compact 
head The flowers are about an inch in diameter, bright rosy 
carmine, and very attractive, and welcome so early in the year. 
Leaves ovate lanceolate, forming a dense tuft; margins sharply 
crenate, and revolute when young. It flowers in April The 
variety elegans (P. elegans, Duby) we have not seen, but a deep 
coloured form calledgrandifloraisa distinct advance on the type. 
Native of Himalayas, &c., at from 10,000 to 12,000 feet above the 
sea level. 
P. Rusbyi, Hort. Ware. —This, as far as we can judge, is a 
good species, although the name is not published in any works 
to which we have access. We first saw it flowering in the nurseries 
of Mr. T. S. Ware, Tottenham. It grows about 6 inches high, 
the scape carrying two or three large purple flowers, very hand 
some, and lasting a considerable time in bloom. Leaves ovate 
lanceolate, tapering into a narrow winged petiole 2 or 3 inches 
long. The Berratures abrupt, small, and pointed. It flowers 
towards the end of summer, and we believe is of American 
origin. It is deciduous in winter, dying down to a bud 11 seems 
to thrive best in a shady moist situation in a strong loamy soil, 
to which has been added plenty of small pieces of sandstone. 
P. salisburgensis, Floike. —A small hybrid between subglu 
tinosa X minima, A . Kern, and as far as leaf character goes 
taking more after the latter than the former parent. The leaves 
are cuneate in outline, the upper quarter of the blade set with 
from seven to nine largish triangular teeth, bottle green at the 
apex. The unpaired tooth in the middle of the leaf, unlike 
some of the other hybrids, is no longer than the two next ones, 
and the tip of the lower one on each side is somewhat blunted 
and shorter than the others. Scape not viscous, as in glutinosa. 
The bracts oblong, almost as broad as the calyx teeth, and shorter 
than the calyx tube. Flowers large for the size of the plant, 
dark peach red, the limb being longer than the corolla tube. 
Found in similar localities to the parents. It seems to thrive 
best with plenty of limestone broken small and pressed firmly 
round the roots. An eastern or western exposure, with plenty 
of water during March and April. It flowers in the latter 
month. 
P. SAPPHIRINA, Hk.fil and Thom. —Is another of those gems 
from the Lachen valley, Sikkim Himalayas, where it is found at 
altitudes of from 13,000 to 15,000 feet above sea level. It has 
been lately introduced among others to our gardens, and. though 
perhaps a difficult, it will prove an interesting species. It is 
doubtful whether it will withstand the damp of our southern 
winters, but northern growers are sure to succeed with it as with 
the others. It rarely grows more than 1 or 2 inches high, the 
leaves forming small rosettes less than an inch in diameter. 
Petioles very short, with large deep teeth round the margins, 
with a spare scattering of white hairs on the upper surface. The 
flowers few in a head, are less than half an inch in diameter, 
deeply bifid, of a bright or p&'e lilac blue. It flowers about the 
end of July or August. A shady corner seems the most suitable; 
rather dry during winter, but with plenty of water during the 
late spring months. 
P. Serb ATI folia, Gusmus. —A hybrid between minima X 
tyrolensis. Gusm., which we have not yet seen in flower. It has 
much the habit of P. minima, leaves narrower, and less cuneate. 
The name is rather unfortunate, as M. Franchet has given the 
name serratifolia to one of the new Yun nan Primroses. It is 
allied to P. obtusifolia, and a desirable garden plant. 
P. SIBIRICA, Jacq. —There would be little difficulty in classing 
this species under P. involucrata, Wall —at least, in some of its 
various forms—and we believe that in a dried state they are 
difficult to distinguish, especially the varieties kashmiriana and 
integerrima, the latter from the Altai Mountains and the former 
from Kashmir (its southern limit), it being confined chiefly to 
Northern Europe, Asia, and Arctic America. The flowers, how¬ 
ever, of all the iorms we know are purplish rose-coloured, with . 
the exception of integerrima, which more nearly resembles 
Munroi in that respect. It grows freely on a low peaty bed, not 
too damp, and exposed to full sunshine. P. sibirica (fig. 48) 
forms a large rosette of oval or roundish oval leaves, with 
petioles unwinged about the length of the blade, free of powder, 
and quite glabrous on both sides, the margins entire or sparingly 
and unevenly crena'ed. The scape rises from 5 to 9 or 10inches 
in height, carrying an umbel of about six drooping flowers, 
about an inch in diameter, purplish rose with a yellow eye, 
segments bifid and rounded ; the involucre is exactly the same as 
involucrata, perhaps smaller, and the bracts leBS pointed. It 
flowers in April. Distributed from the Cambridge Botanic 
Cardens about 1830. Native of N. Siberia, &c. Syn., inter¬ 
media, Ledeb.; rotundifolia, Pall; P. s. var. Finma.rchica, Jacq 
of which norvegica, Betz., is a synonym, is smaller in all its 
parts than the type, and not so useful as a garden plant. P. s. 
integrifolia we have not seen; P. s. integerrima is taller, more 
slender, and having smaller flowers; P. s. kashmiriana is also- 
smaller, but more numerous flowered than the type. 
P. Sieboldii, Morr .—Another name for the well-known P. 
cortusoides var. amoena, so plentiful in gardens. The flowers 
are much larger than the type, various coloured, and having 
longer petioles. An excellent plant for either the rockery or 
mixed border, and may be increased to any extent by division of 
the roots in autumn. It forces very well, and msy be had indoors 
a month or so earlier than it flowers outside. A group makes 
quite a feature in the greenhouse in late spring. 
P. sikkimensis, Hook. (fig. 49).-Of all the Himalayan 
Primroses yet introduced to English gardens there are none to 
our thinking that exceed or perhaps even equal the present 
species when properly mmaged; for even this Primrose has its 
peculiarities, which must be suited as far as possible to the 
means at hand. A very prevalent belief amongst hardy plant 
growers is that many of this class of Primrose are either annual 
