308 TWO INTERESTING PRIMULA PLANTS.
in a wild state. When phyllody occurs in connection with the
flowers of any form of Primula borne in umbels (as in the case
of the cultivated Polyanthus or the Wild Oxlip), the bracts at
the base of each pedicel springing from the top of the peduncle
are also generally developed into leaves, which are sometimes
of considerable size.
Although I have for many years made a special study
of the British members of the genus Primula, 1 have never yet
seen a specimen, either wild or cultivated, bearing phyllodic
flowers quite like those borne by Mr. Fitch's plant. In this case
(as shown in the accompanying illustration, Fig. 1), all the inner
floral organs (except the pistil of one of the two flowers shown)
have entirely aborted, forming a small knob not much larger than
a pin's head at the bottom of the tube of the calyx. The flowers
consist, therefore, of nothing but an abnormal foliated calyx.
The method of foliation differs, however, from that usually met
with, as described above. Instead of having, in place of ordinary
sepals, elongated wrinkled green leaves, very much like the
ordinary leaves of the plant, but smaller, and often more or less
curled laterally, this specimen has the calyx-leaves of ovate-
acute shape, flat, and uncurled, but little wrinkled, and joined
together to form a calyx of a star-like form, looking (except
so far as colour is concerned) much like the corolla of some
new flower. The origin of these leaves, from the enlargement
of the calyx-teeth, is, in short, much more obvious than in
the case of the commoner phyllodic variety of the Primrose.
When found, the plant bore five or six flowers of the kind
above described, though only two are shown in the accompany-
ing illustration. Some other flowers which promised to develop
did not do so, probably because the plant was raised and potted.
At the date of writing (July 15th), the two "flowers" shown
are still on the plant, having undergone no change since the
plant was found early in February last. They seem, indeed,
unlike ordinary flowers, as permanent as the leaves they so
closely resemble in all but shape. As I have it now under
cultivation, I shall be able to observe and record future
developments.
It may very well be that plants bearing "flowers'' of this
nature are commoner than is supposed to be the case; for, as the
blossoms exactly resemble the leaves in colour, they are very
easily overlooked. Still, as I have stated, I have never before
met with a plant bearing similar flowers.