Primula angustifolia
Primula cusickiana
alpine primrose
Cusick's primrose, Wallowa 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 winged;
blade without deep reticulate veins abaxially, lanceolate to spatulate, 1–4 × 0.3–1.8(–2.3) cm, thick, margins almost entire or somewhat dentate, apex obtuse or acute, surfaces glabrous.
1–2-flowered;
involucral bracts plane, unequal.
2–8-flowered;
involucral bracts plane, unequal.
arcuate, thin, 3–10 mm, length 2–4 times bracts, flexuous.
erect to arcuate, thin, 2–25(–35) mm, length ca. 1–2 times bracts, flexuous.
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, sometimes with farinose stripes on ridges, narrowly campanulate, 5–11 mm;
corolla rose to magenta-violet, tube 7–14 mm, length 1–2 times calyx, glandular or eglandular, limb to 10–25 mm diam., lobes 5–10 mm, apex emarginate.
cylindric, length 1 times calyx.
ovoid, length 1 times calyx.
without flanged edges, reticulate.
unknown.
= 44.
Primula angustifolia
Primula cusickiana
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.)
Varieties 4 (4 in the flora).
Throughout the Great Basin and Intermountain Region, Primula cusickiana exhibits local variation. With the exception of P. capillaris, the members of the P. cusickiana complex are treated as varieties distinguished somewhat arbitrarily by morphological differences; geographic distribution and ecology also separate them. Genetic studies using nuclear ITS and ETS sequences, cpDNA and AFLPs (S. Kelso et al. unpubl.; A. R. Mast et al. 2004) support the close relationships in this clade and to P. capillaris. This infraspecific taxonomic recognition does not diminish their biological importance as isolated endemics almost certainly relictual from the last Ice Age and now restricted to diminishing alpine habitat islands of the Intermountain Region. Given their limited distributions and habitat, which is often threatened by climatic or anthropogenic factors, all representatives of this complex should be considered of conservation concern.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Plants glabrous except for white farina on involucral bracts and calyces | → 2 |
1. Plants glandular-pubescent, at least in inflorescences, white-farinose on involucral bracts and calyces | → 3 |
2. Corolla tube length 1-1.5 times calyx. | var. cusickiana |
2. Corolla tube length usually ca. 2 times calyx. | var. maguirei |
3. Corolla tube length 1.5+ times calyx, 8-14 mm. | var. domensis |
3. Corolla tube length to 1.5 times calyx, 7-10 mm. | var. nevadensis |
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
OR
CalFlora
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
