Primula incana
Primula tschuktschorum
hoary primrose, mealy primrose, silvery primrose
Chukchi 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 winged;
blade without deep reticulate veins abaxially, linear-lanceolate, 4–5 × 0.2–0.4 cm, fleshy, margins entire or remotely denticulate, apex acute, surfaces glabrous.
4–19-flowered;
involucral bracts saccate, ± equal.
1–3(–6)-flowered;
involucral bracts plane at base, ± equal.
erect, thin, 3–9 mm, length ± 1 times bracts, stiff.
erect to slightly reflexed, somewhat thick, 2–10 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 or greenish black, campanulate, 5–7 mm;
corolla rose-magenta, tube 5–7 mm, length 1 times calyx, eglandular, limb 10–20 mm diam., lobes 5–10 mm, apex unlobed or rarely cleft to base.
cylindric to ellipsoid, length 1.5–2 times calyx.
broadly cylindric, length 2 times calyx.
without flanged edges, reticulate.
without flanged edges, vesiculate.
= 54, 72.
= 22.
Primula incana
Primula tschuktschorum
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 tschuktschorum has a long history of taxonomic confusion with its close relative P. pumila, from which it is distinguished by its heterostylous flowers, more delicate appearance, and lack of farina. It appears to be restricted in North America to the Bering Strait region of Alaska between the Seward Peninsula and Bristol Bay, where it grows occasionally in coastal areas and more commonly at higher elevations in the mountains around late-lying snowbanks.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
BC
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
