Primula incana
Primula veris
hoary primrose, mealy primrose, silvery primrose
cowslip 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 or abruptly petiolate;
petiole winged;
blade with deep reticulate veins abaxially, ovate to ovate-oblong, 5–20 × 2–6 cm, thin, membranaceous in age, margins coarsely toothed, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces pubescent, hairs simple.
4–19-flowered;
involucral bracts saccate, ± equal.
5–16-flowered;
involucral bracts plane, unequal.
erect, thin, 3–9 mm, length ± 1 times bracts, stiff.
erect to drooping, moderately thick, 3–20 mm, length 1–3 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 pale green, broadly campanulate, 0.8–2 cm;
corolla yellow, with orange spots at base of lobes, tube 8–20 mm, length to 1 times calyx, eglandular, limb 8–28 mm diam., lobes 8–14 mm, apex slightly emarginate to distinctly notched.
cylindric to ellipsoid, length 1.5–2 times calyx.
ovoid, length to 1 times calyx.
without flanged edges, reticulate.
without flanged edges, minutely vesiculate.
= 54, 72.
= 22 (Europe).
Primula incana
Primula veris
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 veris shows exceptional morphological variation in Europe, with multiple specific and infraspecific names. It is a popular garden plant both here and in Europe; horticultural varieties abound and are almost certainly represented among the records from North America.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
BC
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
Go Botany
MI Flora
