Primula incana
Primula specuicola
hoary primrose, mealy primrose, silvery primrose
alcove primrose, cave primrose, cave-dwelling 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 broadly winged;
blade without deep reticulate veins abaxially, spatulate, 8–15 × 2 cm, thin, margins irregularly and sharply dentate to sinuate-dentate, apex obtuse to acute, surfaces glabrous.
4–19-flowered;
involucral bracts saccate, ± equal.
(6–)10–25-flowered;
involucral bracts plane, ± equal.
erect, thin, 3–9 mm, length ± 1 times bracts, stiff.
erect, thin, 10–30 mm, length 2–5 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, campanulate, 3–5 mm;
corolla lavender, tube 8–10 mm, length 2 times calyx, eglandular, limb 10–16 mm diam., lobes 5–8 mm, apex emarginate.
cylindric to ellipsoid, length 1.5–2 times calyx.
ellipsoid, length 1–2 times calyx.
without flanged edges, reticulate.
without flanged edges, reticulate.
= 54, 72.
= 18.
Primula incana
Primula specuicola
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 specuicola has relatively large corollas, relatively long pedicels, and irregularly and sharply dentate to sinuate-dentate leaves with conspicuous farina. It is a characteristic member of hanging-garden communities along the canyon walls of the Colorado River and its tributaries. Plants with a more exserted capsule were given the name P. hunnewellii; this appears to be only a minor variant that does not warrant infraspecific recognition.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
BC
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
SW CO Wildflowers
