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cowslip primrose

alcove primrose, cave primrose, cave-dwelling primrose

Habit Plants 8–30 cm, herbaceous; rhizomes thick, short; rosettes sometimes clumped, vegetative parts efarinose but often pubescent. Plants 10–25 cm, herbaceous; rhizomes thin, short; rosettes not clumped; vegetative parts heavily white-farinose.
Leaves

not aromatic, indistinctly or abruptly petiolate;

petiole winged;

blade with deep reticulate veins abaxially, ovate to ovate-oblong, 5–20 × 2–6 cm, thin, membranaceous in age, margins coarsely toothed, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces pubescent, hairs simple.

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.

Inflorescences

5–16-flowered;

involucral bracts plane, unequal.

(6–)10–25-flowered;

involucral bracts plane, ± equal.

Pedicels

erect to drooping, moderately thick, 3–20 mm, length 1–3 times bracts, flexuous.

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

Flowers

heterostylous;

calyx pale green, broadly campanulate, 0.8–2 cm;

corolla yellow, with orange spots at base of lobes, tube 8–20 mm, length to 1 times calyx, eglandular, limb 8–28 mm diam., lobes 8–14 mm, apex slightly emarginate to distinctly notched.

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.

Capsules

ovoid, length to 1 times calyx.

ellipsoid, length 1–2 times calyx.

Seeds

without flanged edges, minutely vesiculate.

without flanged edges, reticulate.

2n

= 22 (Europe).

= 18.

Primula veris

Primula specuicola

Phenology Flowering spring. Flowering summer.
Habitat Meadows and pastures, persisting around old gardens and homesteads, apparently substantially spreading and naturalized Moist seepage areas on carbonate bedrock in canyons
Elevation 0-1000 m (0-3300 ft) 800-2500 m (2600-8200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; MA; ME; MI; NY; BC; NB; NF; NS; ON; QC; Europe [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Primula veris shows exceptional morphological variation in Europe, with multiple specific and infraspecific names. It is a popular garden plant both here and in Europe; horticultural varieties abound and are almost certainly represented among the records from North America.

(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.)

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 301. FNA vol. 8, p. 294.
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. specuicola, P. stricta, P. suffrutescens, P. tschuktschorum
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
Synonyms P. officinalis P. hunnewellii
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 142. 1753 , Rydberg: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 40: 461. 1913 ,
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