There has always been some confusion over the species P. tibetica and P. fasciculata because they look so much the same.
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Primula tibetica (pouched bracts indicated) |
P. tibetica was described based on collections from Gyanama (Gyanima or Gyanema), north of Kumaon in SW Tibet and also from Kangra Lama, north of Sikkim in S Tibet. The species was
described by Watt and an
illustration was made at the time. The species is described as having scape to 3 inches tall (13cm according to the Flora of China) with 1-5 flowers and bracts linear-oblong, producing downwards into a gibbosity (pouched bracts). Unfortunately, the original illustration doesn't show the bracts in this fashion and the type material online isn't of sufficient resolution is see this feature. This type of bract is also found in P. munroi though the downward part is larger (4-7mm vs 1-1.5mm).
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Primula fasciculate (bracts indicated, but usually not seen) |
P. fasciculata was described based on a collection by Kingdon Ward on the Chungtien (Zhongdian) plateau in Yunnan. This species was
described by Balfour & Ward and they noted that none of the
type specimens have a scape, all flowers being solitary and do not reflex back as they are said to do in P. tibetica. The observation is made that P. fasciculata could be considered the Eastern representative of P. tibetica. The Flora of China says that this species can have short scapes to 2.5cm.