Primula parryi
Primula specuicola
Parry primrose, Parry's primrose
alcove primrose, cave primrose, cave-dwelling 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 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.
5–25-flowered;
involucral bracts plane, unequal.
(6–)10–25-flowered;
involucral bracts plane, ± equal.
arcuate, somewhat thick, 10–50 mm, length 1–6 times bracts, flexuous.
erect, thin, 10–30 mm, length 2–5 times bracts, flexuous.
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, 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.
ellipsoid to cylindric, length 1 times calyx.
ellipsoid, length 1–2 times calyx.
without flanged edges, reticulate.
without flanged edges, reticulate.
= 44.
= 18.
Primula parryi
Primula specuicola
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 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.)
CalFlora
PNW Herbaria
SW CO Wildflowers
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
