Primula
Primula is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants in the family Primulaceae. They include the primrose, a familiar wildflower of banks and verges. Other common species are P. auricula, P. veris, and P. elatior. These species and many others are valued for their ornamental flowers. They have been extensively cultivated and hybridised. Primula are native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere, south into tropical mountains in Ethiopia, Indonesia, and New Guinea, and in temperate southern South America. Almost half of the known species are from the Himalayas.
Primula has over 500 species in traditional treatments, and more if certain related genera are included within its circumscription.
Description
Primula is a complex and varied genus, with a range of habitats from alpine slopes to boggy meadows. Plants bloom mostly during the spring, with flowers often appearing in spherical umbels on stout stems arising from basal rosettes of leaves; their flowers can be purple, yellow, red, pink, blue, or white. Some species show a white mealy bloom on various parts of the plant. Many species are adapted to alpine climates.Taxonomy
Primula was known at least as early as the mediaeval herbalists, although first formally described as a genus by Linnaeus in 1753, and later in 1754 in his Flora Anglica. Linnaeus described seven species of Primula. One of its earliest scientific treatments was that of Charles Darwin study of heterostyly in 1877. Since then, heterostyly have remained important considerations in the taxonomic classification of Primula. Primula is a member of the Primulaceae family. The most complete treatment of the family, with nearly 1000 species arranged into 22 genera, was by Pax and Knuth in 1905.Phylogeny
Primula is the largest genus in the family Primulaceae, within which it is placed in the subfamily Primuloideae, being the nominative genus.The position of Primula within the family and its relationship to other genera is shown in this cladogram:
Classification
The genus Dodecatheon originated from within Primula, its species are now included in Primula.Sections of genus ''Primula''
The classification of the genus Primula has been investigated by botanists for over a century. As the genus is both large and diverse, botanists have organized the species in various sub-generic groups. The most common is division into a series of thirty sections. Some of these sections contain many species; others contain only one.- Amethystina
- Auricula
- Bullatae
- Candelabra
- Capitatae
- Carolinella
- Cortusoides
- Cuneifolia
- Denticulata
- Dryadifolia
- Farinosae
- Floribundae
- Grandis
- Malacoidea
- Malvacea
- Minutissimae
- Muscaroides
- Nivales
- Obconica
- Parryi
- Petiolares
- Pinnatae
- Pycnoloba
- Reinii
- Rotundifolia
- Sikkimensis
- Sinenses
- Soldanelloideae
- Souliei
- ''Vernales''
Selected species
- Primula alcalina
- Primula algida
- Primula aliciae
- Primula allionii
- Primula alpicola
- Primula amethystina
- Primula angustifolia
- Primula anisodora
- Primula anvilensis
- Primula appenina
- Primula arunachalensis
- Primula atrodentata
- Primula aurantiaca
- Primula aureata
- Primula auricula
- Primula auriculata
- Primula bathangensis
- Primula beesiana
- Primula bella
- Primula bellidifolia
- Primula bergenioides
- Primula bhutanica
- Primula blattariformis
- Primula boothii
- Primula borealis
- Primula bracteosa
- Primula bulleyana
- Primula calderiana
- Primula calliantha
- Primula calyptrata
- Primula capillaris
- Primula capitata
- *Primula capitata ssp. mooreana
- *Primula capitata ssp. crispata
- Primula capitellata
- Primula carniolica
- Primula caveana
- Primula cawdoriana
- Primula cernua
- Primula chionantha
- Primula chumbiensis
- Primula chungensis
- Primula chasmophila
- Primula clarkei
- Primula clusiana
- Primula clutterbuckii
- Primula cockburniana
- Primula concholoba
- Primula concinna
- Primula conspersa
- Primula cortusoides
- Primula cuneifolia
- Primula cusickiana
- Primula daonensis
- Primula darialica
- Primula davidii
- Primula deflexa
- Primula denticulata
- Primula deorum
- Primula deuteronana
- Primula dryadifolia
- Primula edgeworthii
- Primula egaliksensis
- Primula elatior
- Primula elizabethiae
- Primula elongata
- Primula erythrocarpa
- Primula farinosa
- Primula farreriana
- Primula fedschenkoi
- Primula fenghwaiana
- Primula filchnerae
- Primula filipes
- Primula firmipes
- Primula fistulosa
- Primula flaccida
- Primula floribunda
- Primula florindae
- Primula forrestii
- Primula frondosa
- Primula gambeliana
- Primula gemmifera
- Primula geraniifolia
- Primula giraldiana
- Primula glabra
- Primula glaucescens
- Primula glomerata
- Primula glutinosa
- Primula gracilenta
- Primula gracillipes
- Primula griffithii
- Primula halleri
- Primula helodoxa
- Primula hendersonii
- Primula heucherifolia
- Primula hirsuta
- Primula hookeri
- Primula incana
- Primula interjacens
- Primula involucrata
- Primula ioessa
- Primula irregularis
- Primula japonica
- Primula jesoana
- Primula jigmediana
- Primula juliae
- Primula kingii
- Primula kisoana
- Primula kitaibeliana
- Primula klattii
- Primula laurentiana
- Primula lihengiana
- Primula listeri
- Primula longiscapa
- Primula lutea
- Primula luteola
- Primula macrophylla
- Primula magellanica
- Primula malacoides
- Primula malvacea
- Primula marginata
- Primula megaseifolia
- Primula melanantha
- Primula melanops
- Primula minima
- Primula minor
- Primula mistassinica
- Primula modesta
- Primula mollis
- Primula moupinensis
Image:Primula sieboldii RB.jpg|right|thumb|Primula sieboldii
- Primula munroi
- Primula muscarioides
- Primula nipponica
- Primula nivalis
- Primula obconica
- Primula orbicularis
- Primula palinuri
- Primula parryi
- Primula pedemontana
- Primula petelotii
- Primula petiolaris
- Primula pinnatifida
- Primula poissonii
- Primula polyneura
- Primula prenantha
- Primula prolifera
- Primula pulchella
- Primula pulverulenta
- Primula pumila
- Primula reidii
- Primula reinii
- Primula renifolia
- Primula reptans
- Primula reticulata
- Primula rockii
- Primula rosea
- Primula rotundifolia
- Primula rusbyi
- Primula sapphirina
- Primula saxatilis
- Primula scandinavica
- Primula scapigera
- Primula scotica
- Primula secundiflora
- Primula septemloba
- Primula serratifolia
- Primula sheriffii
- Primula sieboldii
- Primula sikkimensis
- Primula sinensis
- Primula sinolisteri
- Primula sinomollis
- Primula soldanelloides
- Primula sonchifolia
- Primula souliei
- Primula spectabilis
- Primula specuicola
- Primula stricta
- Primula strumosa
- Primula suffrutescens
- Primula szechuanica
- Primula takedana
- Primula tanneri
- Primula tardiflora
- Primula tenella
- Primula tenuiloba
- Primula tenuituba
- Primula tibetica
- Primula tschuktschorum
- Primula tyrolensis
- Primula vaginata
- Primula valentiniana
- Primula veris
- Primula verticillata
- Primula vialii
- Primula villosa
- Primula vulgaris
- Primula waltonii
- Primula watsonii
- Primula warshenewskiana
- Primula whitei
- Primula wilsonii
- Primula wollastonii
- Primula wulfeniana
- Primula xanthopa
- Primula yunnanensis
- ''Primula yuparensis''
Etymology
Distribution and habitat
Although there are over 400 species of Primula, about 75% are found in the eastern Himalayan mountain chain and western China, constituting a centre of diversity. Other centres of diversity are a western Asian centre, mountains of East Asia and those of western North America. Primula is found in mountainous or higher latitude zones of North America, Europe, and Asia, with extension into South America, Africa and tropical Asia. About 25 species occur in North America.Primula is found in the humid and moderate climate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, predominantly in the forest belt, plain meadows, Alpine lawns, and nival and meadow tundras.