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Phytologist vol. 3 p. 43. H.C. Watson

The connecting links between the Cowslip & Primrose may be grouped as in London Catalogue under 3 forms. 1^st caulescent primroses (common), which differ little excepting in having their umbels on a common peduncle. 2^d (less frequent) truly intermediate forms in colour, shape, pubescence & inflorescence, but with primrose predominating. 3^d. (rare) intermediate forms, nearer to Cowslip. It was var. 2. that gave rise (Phytol. vol. 2 p. 217 & 852) to heterogenous assemblages there described.

Primula Veris var. major Lond. Cat. It is highly uncertain whether this sh^d be placed as a var. of cowslip or primrose. — He has distributed packages showing "all the gradual steps of transition." showing "a transition from genuine primroses to genuine cowslips." "Nevertheless whilst I see no escape from the necessity of yielding faith to the experiments I am still somewhat reluctant to place cowslips & primrose as a simple species. The facts once fairly admitted of such extensive variation of a simple species must throw doubt upon thousands of supposed species, as they now stand

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recorded & described in Books." — So H.C. Watson is a hostile witness. —

says the vars. by diligent search may be found wild, — may be raised by anybody, — may be seen in many gardens. —

p. 147. "Further Report of experiments on the cowslip & oxlip by H.C. Watson."

marked in garden an ordinary cowslip & Claygate oxlip. (P. vulgaris var. intermedia of Lond. Cat.) growing near each other, & got their seeds. —

From Clay—gate oxlip raised 14 plants flowered scarcely 2 alike (some of them flowered in 1847 & have been described in Phytol.) "the varieties gradually passing one from another into the 2 extremes of cowslip & primrose: 9 of them came nearer to primrose 2 very alike parent, 2 very like cowslip. (now if hybridised undoubtedly w^d all have returned far more to cowslip. — (but might have sported if self—fertile Hybrid. the mother oxlip being supposed a hybrid between primrose & cowslip. C.D.)

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Secondly from the cowslip 16 plants raised, showing a regular transition from ordinary cowslip to the Claygate oxlip, & even a little nearer to the caulescent primrose than the oxlip. — Of the 16, 10 very close to true cowlsip; 2 to Primula veris var. major — 4 to Primula veris var. intermedia. (I do not know that this is much opposed to Hybridisation view.)

Conclusions: "seeds of a cowslip can produce cowslips & oxlips. — seeds of an oxlip can produce cowslips oxlips & primroses. The transition from the cowslip to the primrose is thus complete, but not direct; for I have not yet ascertained that a typical P. vulgaris can produce a typical P. veris, or vice versa, without passing through the intermediate link of the oxlip, viz. the P. vulgaris var. intermedia of the London Cat." = Claygate oxlip. —

Remark the intermediateness favours the hybrid view of origin. —