Primula parryi
Primula borealis
Parry primrose, Parry's primrose
northern primrose
rankly aromatic, indistinctly petiolate;
petiole broadly winged;
blade without deep reticulate veins abaxially, broadly lanceolate or oblanceolate to oblong-obovate, 1–33(–40) × 1.5–7 cm, thick, margins almost entire or remotely denticulate, apex rounded to acute, surfaces glabrous.
not aromatic, indistinctly petiolate;
petiole narrowly winged;
blade without deep reticulate veins abaxially, spatulate to rhombic, 1–3.5 × 0.1–0.7 cm, thin, margins crenate to remotely denticulate, apex obtuse to acute, surfaces glabrous.
5–25-flowered;
involucral bracts plane, unequal.
(1–)3–10-flowered;
involucral bracts saccate or gibbous basally, ± equal.
arcuate, somewhat thick, 10–50 mm, length 1–6 times bracts, flexuous.
erect and spreading, thin, 2–8 mm, length usually 2+ times bracts, somewhat stiff.
heterostylous;
calyx green, often purple tinged, cylindric to campanulate, 8–15 mm;
corolla magenta, tube 5–20 mm, length 0.9–1 times calyx, with prominent glands basally and distally, limb 10–25 mm diam., lobes 5–12 mm, apex emarginate.
heterostylous;
calyx green or with purple stripes, campanulate, 3–5 mm;
corolla lavender, tube 6–8 mm, length ca. 1.5 times calyx, eglandular, limb 8–16 mm diam., lobes 0.4–0.8 mm, apex emarginate.
ellipsoid to cylindric, length 1 times calyx.
cylindric to somewhat ellipsoid, length 1.5 times calyx.
without flanged edges, reticulate.
without flanged edges, reticulate.
= 44.
= 36.
Primula parryi
Primula borealis
Primula parryi has the largest and most showy plants of the native North American primroses, growing to almost 50 centimeters in protected sites. It is common on subalpine streamsides and also occurs on the alpine tundra in wet areas near snowmelt seeps. The strong skunky odor of this species is unique in the North American primroses, often lingering even on herbarium specimens. It is the most common species of the genus in the western United States.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Primula borealis varies in height, leaf morphology, and amount of farina, characters that are all influenced by ecology and phenology. Exposed dune populations are often composed of depauperate individuals; inland populations in protected or nutrient-rich sites can contain individuals over 10 cm in height with more flowers. Younger individuals are almost always farinose; farina sometimes disappears later in the growing season. The species characteristically shows a broad corolla and a full symmetrical umbel on a relatively short scape giving a top-heavy appearance at anthesis. Involucral bracts are saccate or gibbous, in comparison to the often sympatric species P. anvilensis and P. nutans, with plane and auriculate bracts, respectively. Inland populations previously identified as P. borealis should generally be placed under P. mistassinica, which can be distinguished by its more delicate appearance and usually efarinose vegetative parts. Plants from near Kotzebue, Alaska, called P. mistassinica by L. A. von Chamisso and D. F. L. von Schlectendahl (1826–1836) belong to P. borealis.
In the Russian Far East and Japan, it is difficult to separate the North Pacific complex centered on Primula modesta Bisset & S. Moore (including P. ajanensis E. A. Busch, P. fauriei Franchet, P. kawasimae H. Hara, and P. matsumurae Petitmengin) from the complex centered on P. borealis. These show morphological similarities; they differ in chromosome number. No recent comprehensive systematic work has been done on the North Pacific representatives of sect. Aleuritia; molecular and morphometric analyses may help clarify phylogenetic relationships and taxonomy of these taxa.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
CalFlora
PNW Herbaria
SW CO Wildflowers
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
