Primula farinosa L.

Abstract

Perennial rosette hemicryptophyte. Rosettes with a short, up to 5 mm, erect conical/discoid axis, bearing a succession of closely spaced leaves, and giving rise to intercalary primordia which may alternatively differ- entiate into adventitous roots, inflorescences, vegeta- tive buds, or sessile, tangentially flattened, winter bulbils. Leaves, sometimes fleshy, incurled, 1–5( − 10) cm long, 0.3–2 cm broad, oblanceolate, oblong-ovate to elliptic, obtuse or subacute, sometimes narrowing into a petiole-like basal region which may represent almost half of the length, finely toothed or crenulate to entire, green, somewhat glistening above when mature with, in the type subspecies, white- or sulphur-coloured farina on abaxial surface; farina on both surfaces of unexpanded leaves, and of apetiolate leaves in overwin- tered newly expanding rosettes; farina sometimes ini- tially present on adaxial surface of expanded leaves but subject to removal by weathering. Cotyledons and leaves with scattered unicellular capitate glandular hairs on upper surfaces; similar hairs also on hypo- cotyl. Scape(s) (mostly absent in one British popula- tion) originating among leaf bases of rosettes, thick striate 0–3 cm tall, or thinner 2–20( − 30) cm tall reflect- ing an intrapopulation genetic polymorphism (a vari- etal name, acaulis Ahlq., has been applied). Scape sparsely glandular, farinose entirely when young, dis- tally only later, bearing one umbel (or unusually two umbels ‘candelabra-like’ on the same axis) with few or many (< 30) flowers or flower buds not all of which may mature,