The real Primula involucrata (P. boveana)

In a previous post, I talked about why the species called Primula involucrata by many people should actually be called Primula munroi. This is due in part because the names in Wallich’s catalogue are considered “nomina nuda” (therefore invalid), and in part because Sweet used the name...

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Primula involucrata or Primula munroi?

There has been confusion over the names P. involucrata and P. munroi for a long time and currently both names are used. So which is the correct name? The problem starts with Nathaniel Wallich, a Danish botanist who collected extensively in India, Nepal, West Hindustan and lower Burma. Wallich...

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My Camera has the Blues

Color is a tricky thing when describing and photographing flowers. Not only do people differ in their understanding of what is meant by color terms, our cameras “see” colors in different ways than we do. Primula nanobella color variation. Words used to describe the most common range...

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Primula Fertility and Seed Set

  A feature of primulas is their heterostyly nature. Almost all Primulas have a pin form (where the level of the stigma is above the anthers) and a thrum form (where the level of the stigma is below the anthers). A few species are homostyle (where the level of the stigma and anthers...

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