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FOC | Family List | FOC Vol. 15 | Primulaceae

8. Primula Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 142. 1753.

报春花属 bao chun hua shu

Primula alpicola

Credit: Harvard University Herbaria

Herbs perennial, rarely annual, glabrous or pubescent, often farinose. Leaves simple, forming a rosette. Flowers usually heterostylous with pin (with longer styles) and thrum (with shorter styles) flowers; sometimes homostylous, in umbellate, racemose, subcapitate, or spicate inflorescences on scapes, with bracts; rarely solitary, scapes undeveloped. Calyx campanulate or cylindric, sometimes leaflike, 5-toothed. Corolla tube cylindric, not constricted at throat; limb 5-lobed, spreading or campanulate; lobes 2-cleft, margin entire. Stamens inserted on corolla tube; filaments very short; anthers obtuse. Ovary superior. Capsule globose, ovoid, or cylindric, dehiscing by valves, rarely with an operculum or crumbling; seeds numerous.

Approximately 500 species, mostly indigenous to the N temperate zone, with only a few outliers on the mountainous regions of Africa (Ethiopia), tropical Asia (Java and Sumatra), and South America. About 300 species are native to China.

Many species are imperfectly known, sometimes collected only once. This is reflected occasionally by missing details on pin or thrum morphology, fruiting characteristics, or ecology.

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The 300 species are represented by 24 sections according to C. M. Hu: 1. Sect. Monocarpicae Franchet ex Pax: spp. 1--13. 2. Sect. Obconicolisteri I. B. Balfour: spp. 14--23. 3. Sect. Cortusoides I. B. Balfour: spp. 24--40. 4. Sect. Malvacea I. B. Balfour: spp. 41--47. 5. Sect. Auganthus (Link) Pax ex I. B. Balfour: spp. 48--50. 6. Sect. Pycnoloba I. B. Balfour: sp. 51. 7. Sect. Ranunculoides Chen & C. M. Hu: spp. 52--53. 8. Sect. Primula: sp. 54. 9. Sect. Carolinella (Hemsley) Pax: spp. 55--62. 10. Sect. Bullatae Pax: spp. 63--66. 11. Sect. Petiolares Pax: spp. 67--115. 12. Sect. Proliferae Pax: spp. 116--134. 13. Sect. Amethystina I. B. Balfour: spp. 135--142. 14. Sect. Sikkimensis I. B. Balfour: spp. 143--150. 15. Sect. Crystallophlomis Rupr.: spp. 151--191. 16. Sect. Cordifoliae Pax: spp. 192--196. 17. Sect. Aleuritia Duby: spp. 197--242. Spp. 238--242 are recognized in Europe and North America as Sect. Armerina. 18. Sect. Minutissimae Pax: spp. 243--259. 19. Sect. Souliei I. B. Balfour ex W. W. Smith & Forrest: spp. 260--265. 20. Sect. Dryadifolia I. B. Balfour: spp. 266--268. 21. Sect. Denticulata Watt: spp. 269--274. 22. Sect. Capitatae Pax: spp. 275--276. 23. Sect. Muscarioides I. B. Balfour: spp. 277--289. 24. Sect. Soldanelloides Pax: spp. 290--300.


Key 1

1 Racemes abbreviated, ± umbellate, less than 1.5 cm, densely flowered.   (2)
+ Racemes much longer than 1.5 cm or only to 5-flowered.   (5)
       
2 (1) Leaf blade acute or acuminate at apex.   (3)
+ Leaf blade obtuse or rounded at apex.   (4)
       
3 (2) Leaf blade rounded or cuneate at base; calyx ca. 3 mm   55 Primula henryi
+ Leaf blade cordate at base; calyx 7-10 mm   56 Primula chapaensis
       
4 (2) Leaf blade suborbicular or ovate-rounded, 10-15 cm wide, cordate at base   57 Primula partschiana
+ Leaf blade oblong to obovate, 2-5 cm wide, broadly cuneate to subrounded at base   58 Primula rugosa
       
5 (1) Calyx lobes not leaflike, glabrous inside   24 Primula pauliana
+ Calyx lobes leaflike, pubescent on both sides.   (6)
       
6 (5) Corolla yellow.   (7)
+ Corolla rose, lilac, or white.   (8)
       
7 (6) Leaf blade reniform, base deeply cordate, densely pilose abaxially   41 Primula bathangensis
+ Leaf blade obovate to oblong, base attenuate or subrounded, short hirsute abaxially   42 Primula saturata
       
8 (6) Leaves membranous; calyx parted to near base.   (9)
+ Leaves not membranous; calyx parted to middle or slightly below.   (10)
       
9 (8) Leaf blade cordate to truncate at base, margin palmately lobulate   43 Primula aromatica
+ Leaf blade attenuate at base, margin pinnately lobed   44 Primula runcinata
       
10 (8) Leaf blade suborbicular to broadly ovate   45 Primula malvacea
+ Leaf blade elliptic to oblong-obovate.   (11)
       
11 (10) Leaf blade cordate to subcordate at base, elevated reticulate abaxially   47 Primula celsiiformis
+ Leaf blade broadly cuneate to subrounded at base, not elevated reticulate abaxially.   (12)
       
12 (11) Pedicel 4-8(-15) mm; calyx 8-15 mm   46 Primula blattariformis
+ Pedicel ca. 2 mm; calyx ca. 5 mm   277 Primula inopinata

List of Keys

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