Primula dueckelmannii from the Wakhan Corridor

Primula dueckelmannii is a mystery species, described in 1959 and one that is known to be closely similar to Primula kaufmanniana from Turkestan. The description does not seem to match the herbarium specimen but apparently the difference between the two species is that P. dueckelmannii has seven lobed leaves, deep reddish-violet flowers, hairs on the scape, pedicels, bracts and calyx and the calyx lobes are linear. There are herbarium specimens online at Universität Wien, Vienna : holotype specimen W 1964-0005577 and non-type KUFS 022196.

Primula kaufmanniana

Unfortunately I have no images of Primula dueckelmannii and careful study of it is difficult because it is found in the Wakhan corridor of Afghanistan. This area is considered a challenging place to travel to and possibly dangerous, though it is much safer if you travel from the north via Tajikistan rather than through Afghanistan from the south. 

Wakhan corridor by Hans Roemer

Richards says that expeditions to the Wakhan in the 1960's and 1970's reported seeing P. kaufmanniana which could very well have been P. dueckelmannii. The Wakhan was visited by Hans Roemer in 1964 and his images of P. macrophylla, P. pamirica, aff P. schlagintweitiana and P. warshenewskiana are in the Species Gallery.

Recently Gary and Monika Wescott travelled through the corridor and encountered no problems doing so. There are even upcoming trips planned to the Wakhan for 2016 from Secret Compass, Untamed Borders, Another World Adventures, and Wild Frontiers. If you (or someone you know) are intending a trip to the Wakhan, and you are able to take Primula images for me, please contact me for details of the species to be found there.