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alcove primrose, cave primrose, cave-dwelling primrose

bluedome primrose

Habit Plants 10–25 cm, herbaceous; rhizomes thin, short; rosettes not clumped; vegetative parts heavily white-farinose. Plants 6.5–24 cm, herbaceous; rhizomes thin, relatively short; rosettes not clumped; vegetative parts farinose when young, often efarinose in age.
Leaves

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.

not aromatic, indistinctly petiolate;

petiole winged;

blade without deep reticulate veins abaxially, elliptic to oblanceolate, 1–4 × 1 cm, thin, margins usually crenulate or denticulate, rarely entire, apex obtuse, surfaces glabrous, often farinose when young, efarinose in age.

Inflorescences

(6–)10–25-flowered;

involucral bracts plane, ± equal.

3–10-flowered;

involucral bracts plane, ± equal.

Pedicels

erect, thin, 10–30 mm, length 2–5 times bracts, flexuous.

erect at anthesis, relatively thin, to 5 mm, length to 1 times bracts, stiff.

Flowers

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.

heterostylous;

calyx green with purple stripes, campanulate, 4–6 mm;

corolla white, tube 4–7 mm, length 1–1.2 times calyx, eglandular, limb 6–10 mm diam., lobes 3–5 mm, apex deeply notched.

Capsules

ellipsoid, length 1–2 times calyx.

ellipsoid, length 1–1.3 times calyx.

Seeds

without flanged edges, reticulate.

without flanged edges, reticulate.

2n

= 18.

= 18.

Primula specuicola

Primula alcalina

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering summer.
Habitat Moist seepage areas on carbonate bedrock in canyons Wet alkaline meadows
Elevation 800-2500 m (2600-8200 ft) 2000 m (6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID; MT
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

Of conservation concern.

Primula alcalina is only known from Idaho west of the Lemhi Range and nearby southwestern Montana. Although historical records from Montana were known, this species was believed extirpated until relocated in 2002.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 294. FNA vol. 8, p. 291.
Parent taxa Primulaceae > Primula Primulaceae > Primula
Sibling taxa
P. alcalina, P. angustifolia, P. anvilensis, P. borealis, P. capillaris, P. cuneifolia, P. cusickiana, P. egaliksensis, P. incana, P. laurentiana, P. mistassinica, P. nutans, P. parryi, P. pumila, P. rusbyi, P. stricta, P. suffrutescens, P. tschuktschorum, P. veris
P. angustifolia, P. anvilensis, P. borealis, P. capillaris, P. cuneifolia, P. cusickiana, P. egaliksensis, P. incana, P. laurentiana, P. mistassinica, P. nutans, P. parryi, P. pumila, P. rusbyi, P. specuicola, P. stricta, P. suffrutescens, P. tschuktschorum, P. veris
Synonyms P. hunnewellii
Name authority Rydberg: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 40: 461. 1913 , Cholewa & Douglass M. Henderson: Brittonia 36: 59, fig. 2. 1984 ,
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