Primula angustifolia
Primula borealis
alpine primrose
northern primrose
not aromatic, indistinctly petiolate;
petiole narrowly winged;
blade without deep reticulate veins abaxially, linear-lanceolate to oblanceolate, 1–1.7 × 0.3–1 cm, thick, margins entire or remotely denticulate, apex spatulate, surfaces glabrous.
not aromatic, indistinctly petiolate;
petiole narrowly winged;
blade without deep reticulate veins abaxially, spatulate to rhombic, 1–3.5 × 0.1–0.7 cm, thin, margins crenate to remotely denticulate, apex obtuse to acute, surfaces glabrous.
1–2-flowered;
involucral bracts plane, unequal.
(1–)3–10-flowered;
involucral bracts saccate or gibbous basally, ± equal.
arcuate, thin, 3–10 mm, length 2–4 times bracts, flexuous.
erect and spreading, thin, 2–8 mm, length usually 2+ times bracts, somewhat stiff.
heterostylous;
calyx green, cylindric, 5–8 mm;
corolla usually bright rose-pink, sometimes white, tube 5–8 mm, length 0.8–1 times calyx, usually eglandular basally, sparsely glandular distally, limb (7–)10–15 mm diam., lobes 5–7 mm, apex almost entire or emarginate.
heterostylous;
calyx green or with purple stripes, campanulate, 3–5 mm;
corolla lavender, tube 6–8 mm, length ca. 1.5 times calyx, eglandular, limb 8–16 mm diam., lobes 0.4–0.8 mm, apex emarginate.
cylindric, length 1 times calyx.
cylindric to somewhat ellipsoid, length 1.5 times calyx.
without flanged edges, reticulate.
without flanged edges, reticulate.
= 44.
= 36.
Primula angustifolia
Primula borealis
Primula angustifolia is a common component of the alpine flora in Colorado and is found occasionally in the mountains of northern New Mexico. A form with white corollas (var. helenae Pollard & Cockerell) occurs in populations with rose-pink corollas. Generally, P. angustifolia grows above treeline; some populations have been found in the upper subalpine zone among dwarf spruce or fir. Individuals in these protected areas tend to be more robust than those growing on exposed, windy sites on the tundra.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Primula borealis varies in height, leaf morphology, and amount of farina, characters that are all influenced by ecology and phenology. Exposed dune populations are often composed of depauperate individuals; inland populations in protected or nutrient-rich sites can contain individuals over 10 cm in height with more flowers. Younger individuals are almost always farinose; farina sometimes disappears later in the growing season. The species characteristically shows a broad corolla and a full symmetrical umbel on a relatively short scape giving a top-heavy appearance at anthesis. Involucral bracts are saccate or gibbous, in comparison to the often sympatric species P. anvilensis and P. nutans, with plane and auriculate bracts, respectively. Inland populations previously identified as P. borealis should generally be placed under P. mistassinica, which can be distinguished by its more delicate appearance and usually efarinose vegetative parts. Plants from near Kotzebue, Alaska, called P. mistassinica by L. A. von Chamisso and D. F. L. von Schlectendahl (1826–1836) belong to P. borealis.
In the Russian Far East and Japan, it is difficult to separate the North Pacific complex centered on Primula modesta Bisset & S. Moore (including P. ajanensis E. A. Busch, P. fauriei Franchet, P. kawasimae H. Hara, and P. matsumurae Petitmengin) from the complex centered on P. borealis. These show morphological similarities; they differ in chromosome number. No recent comprehensive systematic work has been done on the North Pacific representatives of sect. Aleuritia; molecular and morphometric analyses may help clarify phylogenetic relationships and taxonomy of these taxa.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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