Primula incana
Primula nutans
hoary primrose, mealy primrose, silvery primrose
Siberian 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, abruptly petiolate;
petiole not winged;
blade without deep reticulate veins abaxially, ovate to somewhat elliptic, 1–3 × 1–2 cm, thin, margins entire, apex rounded, surfaces glabrous.
4–19-flowered;
involucral bracts saccate, ± equal.
2–4-flowered;
involucral bracts saccate, prominently auriculate basally, ± equal.
erect, thin, 3–9 mm, length ± 1 times bracts, stiff.
nodding, thin, 10–20 mm, length 1–5+ 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, 4–7 mm;
corolla lavender, tube 7–10 mm, length 1.5–2 times calyx, eglandular, limb 9–20 mm diam., lobes 5–10 mm, apex deeply notched.
cylindric to ellipsoid, length 1.5–2 times calyx.
narrowly cylindric, length 1.5–2 times calyx.
without flanged edges, reticulate.
without flanged edges, reticulate.
= 54, 72.
= 22.
Primula incana
Primula nutans
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.)
European plants have been distinguished as subsp. finmarchia Jacquin based on a shorter corolla tube that is equal to the calyx; genetic analyses may clarify whether taxonomic recognition is warranted.
Primula nutans is often sympatric with P. borealis in western Alaska; frequently, the two are mixed on herbarium sheets. Primula nutans is easily distinguished from P. borealis by its ovate, petiolate leaves, auriculate bracts, and narrowly cylindric capsules.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
BC
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
