晚花卵叶报春 wan hua luan ye bao chun

Primula ovalifolia Franchet subsp. tardiflora C. M. Hu in Chen & C. M. Hu, Fl. Reipubl. Popul. Sin. 59(2): 292. 1990.

Herbs perennial, not mealy. Rhizomes short, thick, with ovate to oblong-ovate scales, scales 1--3 cm. Petiole as long as leaf blade or shorter, narrowly margined; leaf blade broadly ovate to broadly elliptic, (3--)5--9 X 2.5--6 cm, ± enlarging after anthesis, thin papery, abaxially pubescent along veins, glabrous elsewhere, adaxially glabrous, base attenuate to narrowly decurrent, margin hydathode-dentate, apex rounded; lateral veins 10--12 pairs. Scapes 5--12 cm, to 18 cm in fruit, sparsely brownish pubescent; umbel solitary, 3--6-flowered; bracts linear-lanceolate, 3--5 mm. Pedicel 7--12 mm, to 2 cm in fruit, sparsely pubescent. Flowers heterostylous. Calyx campanulate, 9--10 mm, puberulent outside, parted to middle; lobes lanceolate, apex acute. Corolla pale purple, with a white eye; tube slightly longer than calyx; limb 2--2.5 cm in diam; lobes oblong-ovate, emarginate. Pin flowers: stamens inserted at middle of corolla tube; style exserted. Thrum flowers: stamens inserted slightly below middle of corolla tube; style reaching middle of corolla tube. Ovary globose. Capsule unknown. Fl. Apr-May.

* Deciduous broad-leaved forests; 2000--2500 m. Sichuan (Emei Shan)

A rare species apparently confined to a small area on Emei Shan. It superficially resembles Primula ovalifolia Franchet, but can be distinguished by the attenuate base of the leaf blade and sparsely pubescent veins. Furthermore, P. ovalifolia occurs at low elevations on Emei Shan, reaching its upper altitudinal limit at 1700 m, while P. tardiflora grows at higher altitudes (2000-2500 m), and flowers from the end of April to May, about one month later than P. ovalifolia.