YASIN J. NASIR

A perennial with a fairly stout and elongated rootstock. Leaves 17-18.5 x 1.3-2.7 cm, up to 28 cm long in fruit, narrow oblanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate obtuse, subentire from serrulate to subcrenulate, nerves prominent on the under surface, with farina of a bright yellow colour. Scapes 1-3 in number, 9-13 cm long, up to 19 cm in fruit, not exceeding the largest leaves, (6-) 14-38-flowered. Largest bracts 11-12 mm long, up to 14 mm in fruit, lanceolate, glabrous. Pedicel 15-17 (-22) mm long, exceeding or equalling the larger bracts. Flowers heteromorphic, bluish-purple to pinkish-blue. Calyx cupular, 4.5-5.5 mm long, ½ cleft, lobes ovate-lanceolate, acute, minutely puberulous. Corolla tube 7-8 mm long, c. twice the calyx length, lobes 4-5 x 3 mm, obcordate, throat yellow, exannulate. Style c. 7 mm long (in pin-eyed flowers), subexserted. Capsule globose, more or less included in the calyx. Seeds many, c. 0.5 mm long, flanged.

Fl. Per.: January-March.

Syntypes: Malkandi, 4500', Kagan, Inayat 21974 (K!); Inayat 19199 (K).

Distribution: N.W. Himalaya.

The species differs from other members of Primula subgenus Aleuritia (Duby) Wendelbo in the strap-shaped leaves with a bright golden yellow farina on the under surface, the globose capsule equalling or shorter than the calyx and on cytological grounds (Brunn, in symb. Bot. Upsal. 1:87.1932). Smith and Fletcher (op. cit.) give it an isolated position in the sect. Farinosa Pax and gave it a subsectional status (l.c. 46). Previously the species had been variously assigned to sect. Crystallophlomis Rupr., sect. Denticulata Watt etc., but differs from either in several respects.

A cliff plant found in situations where there is dripping water, from low altitudes of 800-1900 m. The petioles and scape are often red in colour.