190 On the Species of the Genus Primula in Essex.
borne on the same off-shoots as the solitary flowers have
developed leaves, or are in some other way irregular. The
calyx of the cultivated umbellate Polyanthus is often foliated.
In fig. 4 all these variations are shown upon one plant.
These solitary flowers are also subject to other minor varia-
tions—particularly to malformation. For instance, a few of
the earliest short-styled flowers I saw seemed to be devoid
of some of their stamens, one had a narrow petal growing
up among its stamens, another had several petals (two of
which were partly green and inclined towards leaves) growing
up with the calyx far below the rest of the petals. Some-
times the tube of the corolla is split down one side, and the
petals on one side of the split are placed a quarter of an inch
or so higher than those on the other. The style is also very
often imperfectly developed, causing a considerable number
to be equal-styled, as may be seen from the table in
Section III. On two occasions this spring I saw a single
flower of what is often called the "Hose-in-Hose" aberration
(prolification), which I have never before heard of as growing
in a wild state. They were both found in Pounce Wood, were
long-styled, and each had a slightly leafy calyx, with the
corolla as usual; but out of the middle of it grew another
flower-bud, with calyx, corolla, and everything complete, but
young, unopened, and thrusting the pistil of the outer flower
to one side. This completes my list of the variations which
I have observed in Primula elatior.
The shape of the normal Oxlip umbel and the arrangement
of its flowers is both peculiar and graceful. The base of the
umbel is not set horizontally on the top of the peduncle, but
slightly inclined, so that the flowers all face one way. The
topmost flowers face nearly upwards, and their pedicels have
a graceful double curve. This curve varies gradually with
the flowers lower down, so that the lowest are almost pendant.
Those flowers which are altogether pendant are those coming
from the very middle of the umbel; their pedicels make
their way out between those of the lower and outer
flowers, and hang over in a complete semicircle. The top-
most flowers open first, and the opening gradually extends to