210 On the Species of the Genus Primula in Essex. 
P. elatior. All over the latter wood P. elatior abounds; but 
on the edge nearest to Westley Wood it is mixed with plenty 
of Primroses and hybrid elatior , and also with Hybrid Oxlips 
produced by the Cowslips growing at the edge. In one 
meadow at Lindsell P. elatior and veris grow commonly with 
the Primrose, the Hybrid Oxlip and P. elatiori-vulgaris 
sparingly near the hedges. 
In the early volumes of the ‘ Phytologist ’ a fierce dis¬ 
cussion raged as to the specific value of the English species 
of Primula, and many experiments were made to prove that 
they might all be raised from the seed of one plant; but, as 
Mr. Darwin says, these are all valueless because “hetero- 
stylism, not being formerly understood, the seed-bearing 
plants were in no instance protected from the visits of 
insects,” so that every opportunity was afforded for some of 
the offspring to be hybrids. 
I may here mention that I have noticed in P. farinosa 
growing among the Alps a peculiarity which I believe has 
not been previously observed, namely, that there is one 
flower, or occasionally I think two, set generally on stalks 
a little longer than the rest, and coming from the centre of 
the umbel, or very near it, which remains out some time— 
I believe several days or a week—after the others have 
withered. This may be of the same nature as the “ central 
flower” of the Carrot and some allied UmbelliferaB mentioned 
by Darwin; but I believe its persistence is not through 
want of fertilization or because of sterility, as I have seen 
it produce seeds as regularly as the others. To quote 
Mr. Darwin (‘Forms of Flowers,’ p. 8), it “may perhaps 
be a remnant of a former and ancient condition of the 
species when one flower alone, the central one, was female, 
and yielded seeds.” I have once observed an instance of 
the same thing in the Polyanthus, and once in the garden 
Auricula. 
In conclusion, I would venture to suggest that, should 
this paper fall into the hands of any Continental botanist 
of experience in this genus, it would be very interesting 
to English botanists to learn whether Primula elatior 
