The Cowslip is a species of Primula. There are twelve in France and five in Britain Away from the mountains you will only find three (Cowslip, Primrose and Oxlip). In Britain, primroses are common enough in favoured places, cowslips are usually more rare. Yet in some parts of France (e.g. the departement du Lot and also in eighteen others) there are cascades of cowslips and no primroses at all. Some French people have never seen a wild primrose. Oxlips, which in England are only found in East Anglia, exist throughout Franc except in the North West. This species is most like the primrose in the large size of the flowers, but they are gathered on a single stem as with the cowslips. The leaves also have a tapering outline like primroses; cowslip leaves are waisted in the middle.All species have two forms of the flower, which in English are called pin and thrum.The photos are of cowslips. To the right is a 'pin' with a pin headed pistil. That on the left the 'thrum' with five pollen laden stamens in the throat looking like the cut end of a twisted thread. It is from comparison with the carpet trade, where odd ends of wool are called 'thrums' that the word is derived. They are not separate sexes (male and female), but nevertheless have a sexual function.The 'pin' has stamens mounted on the side of the petal tube further down, and the 'thrum' with its stamens near the opening has a short pistil at half length. Pollen adhering to a long tongued bee's proboscis, after a visit to one form, will be stuck at just the right place to achieve cross pollination with the other. But they also have a genetical trick which inhibits the pollen from growing on the pistil of its own flower. In the end the seeds produce a more or less 50/50 scattering of the two forms.