The Botanical Magazine Volume Vi Part 4

_Generic Character._

_Specific Character and Synonyms._

PRIMULA _marginata_ foliis obovatis serrato-dentatis albo marginatis, scapo multifloro, involucri foliolis pedunculis brevioribus.

There is no difficulty in determining the British plants of this genus, but much in ascertaining many of the foreign ones: Professor JACQUIN has taken great pains to elucidate them in his _Miscel. Austr._ where fifteen are specifically described, none of which accord exactly with the plant here figured, which has every appearance of being a distinct species: in the _Hortus Kewensis_ it is described as the _glutinosa_ of the _Flora Austriaca_, with which it agrees in many respects, but specimens sent from Vienna shew it to be a different plant; in its farinaceous tendency it accords with the _Primula Auricula_, but is very unlike that plant as it is figured in its wild state by Prof. _Jacquin_, in the _Fl. Austr._ the leaves being much narrower, the flowers larger, and of a different colour; it differs from _glutinosa_ in the shortness of its involucrum, from _villosa_ (already figured) in having leaves much narrower, perfectly smooth in respect to villi, and in the colour of its blossoms, which approach that of the Lilac, but more especially in its disposition to become mealy, particularly on the edges of its leaves, between the serratures, where it is so strong as to make the leaf appear with a white or silvery edge; as this character is constant to it, and not to any other species of Primula that we are acquainted with, we have given to it the name of _marginata_.

Mr. _Lee_ received it from the Alps in the year 1781, and it has continued in our gardens ever since unaltered by culture.

It is a very delicate pretty plant, with a pleasing musky smell, and flowers in March and April. To succeed in its cultivation, it should be placed in a pot of stiffish loam, mixed with one-third rotten leaves, bog earth, or dung, and plunged in a north border, taking care that it does not suffer for want of water in dry seasons; thus treated, it increases by its roots nearly as readily as the Auricula, and may be propagated by parting its' roots early in April or September.

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[192]

CYPRIPEDIUM ACAULE. TWO-LEAVED LADY'S SLIPPER.

_Cla.s.s and Order._

GYNANDRIA DIANDRIA.

_Generic Character._

Nectarium ventricosum, inflatum, cavum.

_Specific Character and Synonyms._

CYPRIPEDIUM _acaule_ radicibus fibrosis, foliis oblongis radicalibus. _Ait. Hort. Kew. V. 3. p. 303._

h.e.l.lEBORINE _Calceolus_ dicta, mariana, foliis binis e radice ex adverso prodeuntibus, flore purpureo _Pluk. Mant. 101; t. 418. f.

1._

CYPRIPEDIUM _humile_--Corolla labio superiore rhomboideo ac.u.minato lateribus deflexo subtus carina angustissima obtusa, inferiore petalis longiore antice fisso. _Transact. Linn. Soc. V. 1. p. 76.

t. 3. f. 4._

We have not figured the present species of Cypripedium so much on account of its beauty as of its rarity, for it is far less handsome than any of the other species that we are acquainted with.

It is a native of different parts of North-America, and flowers with us in May.

There is little difficulty in distinguis.h.i.+ng it from the other foreign species, it has rarely more than two radical leaves, a very short flowering stem compared with the others, a large nectary in proportion to its size, which in the specimens we have seen has been divided on its upper part, through its whole length, so as in fact to destroy in a great degree that shoe or slipper-like form, from which this genus has taken its name.

Like the rest of the family, it requires a little extraordinary care in its culture; its roots should be placed in a pot filled with loam and bog-earth, or rotten leaves, well mixed, and plunged in a north border, where in severe seasons it will be proper to shelter it; if the whole border be formed of the same soil or compost the pot will be less necessary.

Our drawing was made from a plant growing with Messrs. GRIMWOOD and Co.

Kensington.

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[193]

NARCISSUS ANGUSTIFOLIUS. NARROW-LEAVED NARCISSUS.

_Cla.s.s and Order._

HEXANDRIA MONOGYNIA.

_Generic Character._

_Petala_ 6 aequalia. _Nectario_ infundibuliformi, 1-phyllo.

_Stamina_ intra nectarium.

_Specific Character and Synonyms._

NARCISSUS _poeticus_ spatha uniflora, nectario rotato brevissimo scarioso crenulato. _Linn. Syst. Vegetab. ed. 14. Murr. p. 317._ _Sp. Pl. ed. 3. p. 414._

NARCISSUS uniflorus, foliis ensiformibus, scypho brevissimo. _Hall.

Hist. n. 1250._

NARCISSUS albus circulo purpureo. _Bauh. Pin. p. 48._ _Magnol. Bot.

Monsp. p. 181._

NARCISSUS poeticus medio purpureus. _Lob._

NARCISSUS medio purpureus. _Dod. Pempt. p. 223. f. 1._

NARCISSUS medio purpureus praec.o.x. Timely purple ringed Daffodil.

_Ger. Herb. p. 108. f. 2._ also _praecocior, fig. 3._ and _praecocissimus, fig. 4._

NARCISSUS medio purpureus praec.o.x. The early purple ringed Daffodil.

_Park. Parad. p. 76. t. 75. f. 3._

NARCISSUS latifol. cla.s.sis altera, lin. 7. alterum vero, &c. _Clus.

Hist. Pl. rar. lib. 2. p. 156._

Under the name of _poeticus_ three different species of Narcissus appearing perfectly distinct (though similar in many respects) and regarded as such by the old Botanists, have been confounded by the moderns, viz.

Narcissus albus circulo purpureo, v et vi } Narcissus albus magno odoro flore circulo pallido,} C. Bauh.

Narcissus pallidus circulo luteo }