SEPTEMBER. 
185 
NEW DOUBLE CHINESE PBIMROSES. 
WITH AH ILLUSTRATION. 
The double-flowered varieties of the Chinese Primrose form a group of 
considerable extent, as well as one of great beauty and interest. The old 
double rose- coloured and double white varieties of former days, showy and 
attractive as they were, are far surpassed by the modern kinds obtained within 
the last six or eight years, and of which that represented in our plate, under the 
erroneous name of magnifies, is one of the most novel and most charming. 
The first step in advance beyond the original double-dowered varieties of 
this useful plant was the acquisition of the brighter-coloured fringed-petaled 
citro-rosea plena, which was first shown by Mr. Turner, the larger and more im¬ 
posing flowers of which are no doubt due to its very robust and vigorous con¬ 
stitution. To this followed two semi-double varieties, named nivea plena and 
rubella plena , exhibited by Mr. Bull—varieties which were said to have the 
property of reproducing similar semi-double forms from their seeds. Since 
then the progress made in the improvement of the flower has been very rapid, 
and many fine, full, double sorts of various colours have been obtained. 
The chief exhibitors of these later double-flowered varieties have been 
Messrs. F. & A. Smith, of Dulwich, and Messrs. Windsbank & Kingsbury, of 
Southampton, the different sorts having, however, as we are given to under¬ 
stand, had their origin in the same establishment—namely, the nursery of the 
latter-named gentlemen, who, it is said, have succeeded in obtaining a race of 
Chinese Primroses, among the seedlings of which a considerable per-centage of 
double flowers generally occurs. We use above the expression, “ it is said,” 
because we ourselves have not succeeded in raising anything beyond single- 
flowered plants from seeds obtained from this source. The principal novelties 
which have appeared from these two collections bear the following names : — 
Delicata, Fairy, Rubra grandiflora. Purpurea erecta, Queen of England, Glen- 
Eyre, Kermesina splendens plena , and Magnifica. The varieties alluded to in 
the previous remarks all belong to the original race, which has the leaves ovate 
in outline; but some few years since the late Mr. Kay, of Finchley, obtained 
amongst seedlings of the common sort a sport in which the leaves were much 
more elongated, so as to acquire an oblong figure, and these leaves being deeply 
pinnatifid, with toothed lobes, somewhat resembling Fern fronds, obtained for 
the sport the name of frlicifolia, or Fern-leaved. This sport, of which both 
rose-coloured and white-flowered single varieties were at length obtained, was 
let out by Messrs. E. G. Henderson & Son. 
During the past spring the variety we now figure, Primula sinensis 
filicieolia rubra plena (a long name truly), or the double red Fern-leaved 
Chinese Primrose, has been produced at one of the meetings at South Kensing¬ 
ton by Mr. Toombs, gardener to W. S. Roots, Esq., of Kingston-on-Thames. 
It is a remarkably compact-growing plant, with full double flowers of a deep 
rosy tint, paler at the edges, and very justly received a first-class certificate. 
As the first double-flowered form of the Fern-leaved race, it must be regarded 
as a most important addition to the already extensive group of Chinese 
Primroses. 
We cannot do better than add here, chiefly from the “ Proceedings ” of 
the Royal Horticultural Society, the several paragraphs in which the modern 
double-flowered varieties alluded to in the above brief sketch have been 
described : — 
“ Primula sinensis atro-rosea plena. —March 8th, 18G0.—From Mr. C. Turner, Slough. 
This "beautiful plant was awarded a first-class certificate of merit. It proved to be a variety 
of vigorous habit, producing umbels of numerous large double flowers, which were fully 
VOL. V. K 
