Primula incana
Primula capillaris
hoary primrose, mealy primrose, silvery primrose
Ruby Mountain primrose, Ruby Mountains 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-oblanceolate, 1–6 × 0.1–0.5 cm, thick, margins entire, apex rounded, 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.
erect, thin, 2–12 mm, length ca. 1–2 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, narrowly campanulate, 4–8 mm;
corolla magenta-violet with bluish tinge, tube 5–8 mm, length 0.9–1.2 times calyx, eglandular basally, sparsely glandular distally, limb 5–8 mm diam., lobes 2–4 mm, apex emarginate.
cylindric to ellipsoid, length 1.5–2 times calyx.
cylindric, length 1 times calyx.
without flanged edges, reticulate.
unknown.
= 54, 72.
Primula incana
Primula capillaris
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.)
Of conservation concern.
Primula capillaris is narrowly distributed in the alpine tundra of the Ruby Mountains in northern Nevada. It resembles P. angustifolia; it differs in its narrow, upright leaves and smaller flowers with a bluish tint. The plants are the smallest among the species in sect. Parryi and are related to the widespread polymorphic P. cusickiana. Unlike the infraspecific varieties of P. cusickiana, P. capillaris is a morphologically well-differentiated taxon marked by its diminutive, delicate appearance and characteristic leaf shape.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
BC
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
CalFlora
