but W .at do. all thefe prove ? why. that the Primula, like moft other plants, is fubjefi to the SIB
and which are no more to be regarded"than the uncommon colours of a flower- the root or the n T ° r
may be equally fubieato vary as the bloffom, and thofe who cultivate plants ’fee fr°a ,ln t i„(V of»p|
once had a daify which became caulefcent, that is, its peduncle became aPftalk wlfichthrew orit1 ® of«l bearing flowers, the terminal one of which was proliferous, but no one from fiich an uncommon 7 9
infer that the acaulis charafler of the daify was invalidated it is juft fo in my humble opinion with
Pnmrofe, m general the peduncles fpring fingly from the root, aid in forming its fp e cX Sarnf J regMllto‘
guided by their ufual and genuine appearance. - ° p cnaratter we m J
Befides the linking charaSer drawn from tile inflorefcence, a very material difference h ,r I
ter parts of the plant, .betwixt it and the Cowflip at Ieaft; to fay nothing of t h e l l w s ■ ■ H
other
• -notice)
fhape, an'd how very different is‘the calyx ?
icei by R a y in a contrafted point of view, vid.Syn. ed. 3. p. 283. how dfffemnt is the comfe i l ^
In their natural place o f growth and time o f flowering,-we obferve a very material difference I, , •
two plants ; the Pnmrofe loves (heiter, and the light Umfrage o f deciduous ? e e s , through t h e M T i
which it may enjoy the vernal fun, and when its flowering is over, be fhaded from its too potem 1* 1 H
expanding foliage ; hence we find it moft commonly in woods, copfes, hedge-rows, at the £ o t of ] ’Î ^ 1
m flickered lanes, where it is one o f the firft o f our plants whichPawakens® to the genial wa™ h i f l
and welcomes the returning y e a r ; , f the feafon be mild it will flower from March to M a y™
bloom IS with that o f the Wood Anemone ; it is alfo much difpofed to flower in the autumn a S * H
winter i f the weather be not fevere : the Cowflip very rarely manifefts a difoofition n f S » ' enl"1 to fliejv its freckled bloom ; mftead o f woods and their attendant (hade, this muft be fought for J H B f
and meadows, where it courts that degree o f fun which would prove fatal to the Primmfo V n P H
with the early Spotted Orcbis. (O rchis mafcula) P 0 “ e Prlmrole- “ flowers 10 )[
i l l Primr0fe ■ l0ff°m W ? ru,phuri » fome parts o f the kingdom they are f,i,l,
ff J v ,d f parpIe hue ! “ enumerate all the varieties which have fprung from accident a l H 1
afford little entertainment or mftrua,on; fuffice it to'fa y that many o f them I r e very ornament“ i I
defervmg o f our care ; the following are the moft ftrikmg varieties which I have yet hadT Tn L '"S
cultivate, the s.NGLE white flowered, date paper white, whfch Mr. M il l e * fays, without affix in g anv ifl
certainly a diftinfi fpecies, the red or purple o f various fhades the 'hnt. in U r. w i 0 8 any reafonJ
velvet red,, th e pale fed, or fie fl- c o lo u j; L white ca ll'd / b y feme0 d ie s Ä ‘ j
all thefe are charming ornaments for the fhrubbery, the fix l if t are plants o f fome j T
- them fhould be kept ?n Po? which during fummeTmuft R g i Ä I d y “ f i J a t n - b Ä '
ftelter o f a green-lioufe will bring them forward,- and make^them flower to advantage and L t h c / S l
very early, tliey will tend to enliven a colleâion o f more rare and valuable plante- “ ’ ? C) 3
• I C, ï rA US"VaKety 19 by G “ ,a e d and P a r k in so n Mafler H e sk e th ’s Primrofe we have not A
in the colle&ons about Lond on; we hope it may yet remain I n fome part o f the kingdom T i l
de erving o f culture from its great Angularity ; it is faid by P a r k in so n to bear not only^find’e floweJ
feverall flalkes, but fomeomes two or three Angle flowers upon one ftalk, and alfo at the fame thne j a !tkr an,® S E E ? , “ lykher, having one green hufke at the toppe thereof, fometimes broken on the S S
Z [ n T T ' J ? Ie> ln * em,ld d le .wherc° f fttadeih. fometimes divers Angle, flowers thruft togeAer *
fig. in his Farad, terr T h e following is G e r a r d ’s account o f it, « There is a ftranve p S 19 ' growing wilde in Clapdale-Wood, “ near Settle, in Yorkfhire, b y the travel and fofuftrv o f Î ■
I ° p L “ calhire, called mailer T homas H e sk e th , and l diligent fekrcfer o f Simples wh” '
not only brought to light this amiable and pleafant kind o f Primrofe, but many others Iikewili? never- bclr
his time remembred or founde out This kinde o f Primrofe bath leaves, and rootés I —
Pnmrofe, in-eche refpeft, it b r in g e * forth among the leaves a naked ftalke o f a greyflh or oven“
» K T f r ° * gr0We ” 1 wmter time one flower, and no like Z ï j
„ ‘ p S ot “ r i p ’ but “ ' the fommer time it b r in g e* foorth a foft ruffet hufke or hofe,’ whereiil
“ X c r m t S * yoMa emireCfl’ fomel?mes: fower ,or 1 1 a>?d oftentimes more, very thicke thrall löget
« îT Ï rî ill fi entire flower, feeming to be one o f the common double Primrofes, whereas indr
nu r fmd 'fingle flOTwsi ^ w to A
thaTfoe 1 1 1™ *ir“ S dePciadtng the varieties I which this "plant is fubjefl, it may not be amifs to obfJ
î,*îfom rî, 1 , ■ y Sref tly. “ * elr fituation, being fometimes found low down in the tube oft
bloflom, fometimes at its mouth, m the former inftance the Piftillum which varies alfo in length fhewsfl
hi * e t e n t f o dW,thf attHdant ay,f l0?k,S Iikeca' pin in * 0 i M ä 8 —
aîe^alfod yt W a te™ ed while thofe in which the antheræ fclofe' the mouth of the nil
Tgood flower y d’ ^ f e “ “ UPP“ ™ “ « the opinion o f the florift ,i5 an effential requifite
coPtemP-!am;e mmd fe?Is, a complacency in furveying the improvements which Providence penal
that part- m the anrma and vegctable. world which mankind have brought under th3
P,?-C,'-10n% lnflances .Of thefe might be adduced from the more ufeful and necelfaiy pr|
duélions, but it is not thole only that amend under our care, we are permitted alfo to gratify our fight will 4
endlefs varieties that flowers put on, when cultivated by the curious ; nor in any one inftance does
“ The exulting 'Floriß mark
“ w ith fe e ret pride the wonders o f h is band"
/• ■ r ~~--------^ «tuuuic, uicir parent tne rnmroie Being a »«■“■ 'i
warmer Ccli a te s^ 6" 1^ R Wln^s March much more boldly than any foreign plants, natives«
L inNyEus indeed cautions Botanifts againft being feduced by the gaudy tints, that fafeinate the mere M l
bu‘ ur?]y.we m z admme, without" fixing our attention wholly on ihe flower-bed.
The Primrofe comes in for a (hare alfo of medicinal fame. 1
The leaves and the root of Primrofe feem to partake in fome degree o f the nature of thofe ol
Alanim, anmg as ftrong errhmes, or fternutatories, when fnuffed up the nhfe, and as ' emetics (the iw>H
leaf!) when taken inwardly; G e r a r d reports as from the ekperience of a fkilful praffitioner, tfiat adrachei
and a half of the ppwder of the dried roots taken up in autumn purge* by vomit very forcibly, but f * l
m luen manner as Alarum doth, fewis M. M. . 1 7
The root affords a good example of the radix dentata, the tubercles forming the teeth,arife as in "»j
roots of the kind from the remains of the bafe of the leaf, and hence from their number fome idea «»)' 1
tormed of the age of the plant.