PRIMULA VULGARIS subsp. VULGARIS

Family and Genus:- See- PRIMULACEAE

Common Names:- Primrose

Homotypic Synonyms:- Primula acaulis ssp. acaulis

Meaning:- Primula (L) Little-firstling, feminine diminutive of primus, reference to

the early flowering.

Vulgaris (L) Vulgar, common.

General description:- Low to short plant with basal leaf-rosettes.

Leaves:-

1) 5-25 x 2-6 cm, in a lax rosette, oblanceolate to obovate, dentate to crenate

glabrous above; tapering gradually into the short, winged petiole, hairy on the

vein beneath.

Flowers:-

1) Pale yellow, with 5 yellow-green to orange areas at the throat, fragrant.

a) scape, absent.

2) Bracts, 1-1·5 cm, linear to linear-lanceolate.

3) Pedicels, 6-20 cm, ascending in flower, decumbent in fruit, with long hairs.

4) Calyx, 1-2 cm, tubular, lobes lanceolate, acuminate.

5) Corolla, 2-4 cm Æ

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, ovoid, enclosed in the calyx.

2) Seeds, viscid, with an oily caruncle.

Key features:-

1) Leaves, tapering gradually into the petiole.

2) Corolla, yellow, red or purple.

3) Flowers, arising individually from the centre of the leaf-rosette.

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Habitat:- Seasonally damp places in meadows, wet slopes. 50-1400 m.

Distribution:- Most of the Greek mainland. W., S. & S.C. Europe, extending to E.

Denmark and N. Ukraine. On Crete confined to the westen half. Rare.

Flowering time:- Feb-May.

Photos by:- Fotis Samaritakis