Primula laurentiana |
Primula suffrutescens |
|
---|---|---|
bird's-eye primrose, birdeye primrose, primevère laurentienne |
Sierra primrose, Sierran primrose |
|
Habit | Plants 10–48 cm, herbaceous; rhizomes thin, short; rosettes not clumped; vegetative parts usually farinose but sometimes efarinose in age. | Plants evergreen, semiwoody, (mat-forming, leaves densely marcescent along stem base), 5–15 cm; rhizomes stout, long; rosettes multiple, forming mats, in apical clusters arising off stems; vegetative parts efarinose but often glandular. |
Leaves | not aromatic, indistinctly petiolate; petiole broadly winged; blade without deep reticulate veins abaxially, oblanceolate to spatulate, 3–10 × 0.4–1.3 cm, thin, margins crenate, apex obtuse to acute, surfaces glabrous. |
not aromatic, indistinctly petiolate; petiole winged; blade without deep reticulate veins abaxially, cuneate-spatulate, 4 × 0.5–1 cm, succulent, margins crenate to dentate with 6–8 teeth, apex obtuse, surfaces glabrous. |
Inflorescences | 3–12-flowered; involucral bracts saccate, ± equal. |
2–9-flowered; involucral bracts plane at base, unequal. |
Pedicels | erect or spreading, sturdy, 5–10 mm, length ca. 2 times bracts, somewhat flexuous. |
erect, thin, 4–12 mm, length 2–4 times bracts, stiff. |
Flowers | homostylous; calyx green, campanulate, 5–8 mm; corolla lavender, tube 6–9 mm, length 1.5–2 times calyx, eglandular, limb 10–16 mm diam., lobes 5–8 mm, apex emarginate. |
heterostylous; calyx green, urceolate, 4–8 mm; corolla rose-pink, tube 6–10 mm, length 2 times calyx, glandular, limb 10–20 mm diam., lobes 5–10 mm, apex emarginate. |
Capsules | ellipsoid, length 1.5–2 times calyx. |
globose, length 0.7–0.8 times calyx. |
Seeds | without flanged edges, reticulate. |
with flanged edges, reticulate. |
2n | = 72. |
= 44. |
Primula laurentiana |
Primula suffrutescens |
|
Phenology | Flowering summer. | Flowering summer. |
Habitat | Moist open areas, meadows and stream banks on calcareous soils | Rocky alpine slopes in weathered granite soils and rock fissures |
Elevation | 0-300 m (0-1000 ft) | 3300+ m (10800+ ft) |
Distribution |
ME; NB; NL; NS; ON; QC
|
CA
|
Discussion | Primula laurentiana is the octoploid member of a polyploid complex of sect. Aleuritia in North America that encompasses ploidy levels from 2x to 14x. It is most similar to the hexaploid P. incana; it differs in its larger flowers, more open inflorescence, and more robust stature. Both species are heavily farinose and have homostylous flowers. The efarinose form described as forma chlorophylla Fernald is a common variant throughout the range of the species. In coastal northeastern Canada, P. laurentiana blends morphologically and ecologically with P. stricta and crossing between the two is likely; assessment of species identity can be difficult here. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Primula suffrutescens is unusual in the genus, and unique among North American representatives, in forming mats with semiwoody stems carrying withered remains of old leaves on the lower portions of the stems, and evergreen leaf clusters on the distal portions. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 8, p. 293. | FNA vol. 8, p. 298. |
Parent taxa | Primulaceae > Primula | Primulaceae > Primula |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | P. farinosa var. macropoda, P. mistassinica var. macropoda | |
Name authority | Fernald: Rhodora 30: 68. 1928 , | A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 7: 371. 1868 , |
Web links |