Primula incana
Primula angustifolia
hoary primrose, mealy primrose, silvery primrose
alpine primrose
not aromatic, indistinctly petiolate;
petiole broadly winged;
blade without deep reticulate veins abaxially, elliptic to oblanceolate, 1–6 × 0.3–1.6 cm, thin, margins remotely denticulate, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces glabrous.
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.
4–19-flowered;
involucral bracts saccate, ± equal.
1–2-flowered;
involucral bracts plane, unequal.
erect, thin, 3–9 mm, length ± 1 times bracts, stiff.
arcuate, thin, 3–10 mm, length 2–4 times bracts, flexuous.
homostylous;
calyx green, broadly cylindric, 4–10 mm;
corolla lavender, tube 4–10 mm, length 1 times calyx, eglandular, limb 4–8 mm diam., lobes 2–4 mm, apex emarginate.
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.
cylindric to ellipsoid, length 1.5–2 times calyx.
cylindric, length 1 times calyx.
without flanged edges, reticulate.
without flanged edges, reticulate.
= 54, 72.
= 44.
Primula incana
Primula angustifolia
Primula incana is usually heavily farinose, at least when young, and has relatively tall scapes and tight umbels of homostylous flowers. As with some species of the genus, anthesis often begins before the scape is fully elongated; plants at first are quite small, but elongate throughout anthesis and typically become relatively tall and lanky in age. This has led to confusion with other arctic species, especially P. stricta, which has considerably less farina, a shorter scape, and a more maritime distribution. In fruiting stage, P. incana has been confused with P. laurentiana, which has looser umbels throughout anthesis, larger flowers, and a more eastern distribution. Primula incana generally replaces P. laurentiana to the west and south of Hudson Bay. The single octoploid count for P. incana is questionable; the species appears to be consistently hexaploid in other counts.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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.)
BC
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
