Primula suffrutescens
Primula parryi
Sierra primrose, Sierran primrose
Parry primrose, Parry's primrose
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.
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.
2–9-flowered;
involucral bracts plane at base, unequal.
5–25-flowered;
involucral bracts plane, unequal.
erect, thin, 4–12 mm, length 2–4 times bracts, stiff.
arcuate, somewhat thick, 10–50 mm, length 1–6 times bracts, flexuous.
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.
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.
globose, length 0.7–0.8 times calyx.
ellipsoid to cylindric, length 1 times calyx.
with flanged edges, reticulate.
without flanged edges, reticulate.
= 44.
= 44.
Primula suffrutescens
Primula parryi
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.)
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.)
CA
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
PNW Herbaria
SW CO Wildflowers
