粉葶报春 fen ting bao chun

Primula leucochnoa Handel-Mazzetti.

Herbs perennial, with a long stock formed by overlapping petioles and basal bud scales, base with fibrous remains of leaves. Leaves forming a rosette; petiole winged, portion exserted from basal bud scales indistinct, sometimes ca. 1/2 as long as leaf blade; leaf blade lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, 7--15 X 1.2--3 cm, abaxially copiously white farinose, becoming nearly efarinose, base attenuate, margin entire to crenulate, usually narrowly revolute, apex acuminate. Scapes 25--35 cm, white farinose toward apex; umbels 1 or 2, superimposed; 5--12-flowered; bracts lanceolate to linear, 1--2.5 cm. Pedicel 1--4 cm, white farinose. Flowers heterostylous. Calyx tubular-campanulate, 0.9--1.2 cm, parted to middle or slightly below; lobes oblong to oblong-lanceolate, white farinose. Corolla deep bluish purple; tube 1.2--1.3 cm; limb ca. 2 cm wide; lobes elliptic-ovate, margin entire. Pin flowers: stamens ca. 3 mm above base of corolla tube; style nearly reaching mouth of corolla tube. Thrum flowers: stamens toward apex of corolla tube; style slightly shorter than calyx. Capsule cylindric, usually ca. 2 X as long as calyx. Fl. Jun-Jul. 2n = 22@.

* Wet meadows, rocky streamsides; 3900--5000 m. SW Sichuan