Template:Short description {{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}} Template:Automatic taxobox

Primula (Template:IPAc-en)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> is a genus of herbaceous<ref name=RHSAZ>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> flowering plants in the family Primulaceae. They include the primrose (P. vulgaris), a familiar wildflower of banks and verges. Other common species are P. auricula (auricula), P. veris (cowslip), and P. elatior (oxlip). These species and many others are valued for their ornamental flowers. They have been extensively cultivated and hybridised (in the case of the primrose, for many hundreds of years). Primula are native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere, south into tropical mountains in Ethiopia, Indonesia, and New Guinea, and in temperate southern South America. Almost half of the known species are from the Himalayas.<ref name=RHSAZ/>

Primula has over 500 species in traditional treatments, and more if certain related genera are included within its circumscription.<ref name=fna>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

DescriptionEdit

Primula is a complex and varied genus, with a range of habitats from alpine slopes to boggy meadows. Plants bloom mostly during the spring, with flowers often appearing in spherical umbels on stout stems arising from basal rosettes of leaves; their flowers can be purple, yellow, red, pink, blue, or white. Some species show a white mealy bloom (farina) on various parts of the plant.<ref name=RHSAZ/> Many species are adapted to alpine climates.

TaxonomyEdit

Primula was known at least as early as the mediaeval herbalists, although first formally described as a genus by Linnaeus in 1753,Template:Sfn and later in 1754 in his Flora Anglica. Linnaeus described seven species of Primula. One of its earliest scientific treatments was that of Charles Darwin study of heterostyly in 1877 (The different forms of flowers on plants of the same species). Since then, heterostyly (and homostyly) have remained important considerations in the taxonomic classification of Primula.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Primula is a member of the Primulaceae family. The most complete treatment of the family, with nearly 1000 species arranged into 22 genera, was by Pax and Knuth in 1905.Template:Sfn

PhylogenyEdit

Primula is the largest genus in the family Primulaceae, within which it is placed in the subfamily Primuloideae, being the nominative genus.Template:Sfn

The position of Primula within the family and its relationship to other genera is shown in this cladogram: Template:Clade

ClassificationEdit

The genus Dodecatheon originated from within Primula, its species are now included in Primula.<ref name="weakley">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} UNC Herbarium, North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.</ref>

Sections of genus PrimulaEdit

The classification of the genus Primula has been investigated by botanists for over a century. As the genus is both large and diverse (with about 430–500 species), botanists have organized the species in various sub-generic groups. The most common is division into a series of thirty sections.<ref name="Ingwersen">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Green">Template:Cite book</ref> Some of these sections (e.g. Vernales, Auricula) contain many species; others contain only one. Template:Div col

  • Amethystina
  • Auricula
  • Bullatae
  • Candelabra
  • Capitatae
  • Carolinella
  • Cortusoides
  • Cuneifolia
  • Denticulata
  • Dryadifolia
  • Farinosae
  • Floribundae
  • Grandis
  • Malacoidea
  • Malvacea
  • Minutissimae
  • Muscaroides
  • Nivales
  • Obconica
  • Parryi
  • Petiolares
  • Pinnatae
  • Pycnoloba
  • Reinii
  • Rotundifolia
  • Sikkimensis
  • Sinenses
  • Soldanelloideae
  • Souliei
  • Vernales

Template:Div col end

Selected speciesEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Species include:<ref name=china>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=fna-list>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=grin>GRIN Species Records of Primula. Template:Webarchive Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).</ref>

File:Primula glutinosa.jpg
Primula glutinosa
File:Auricula(1).jpg
Primula × pubescens

EtymologyEdit

The word primula is the Latin feminine diminutive of primus, meaning first (prime), applied to flowers that are among the first to open in spring.<ref name=AZPLA>Template:Cite book</ref>

Distribution and habitatEdit

Although there are over 400 species of Primula, about 75% are found in the eastern Himalayan mountain chain and western China (Yunnan Province), constituting a centre of diversity. Other centres of diversity are a western Asian centre (Caucasus, European mountain ranges from the Pyrenees, through the Alps to the Carpathian Mountains), mountains of East Asia and those of western North America. Primula is found in mountainous or higher latitude zones of North America, Europe, and Asia, with extension into South America, Africa (mountains of Ethiopia) and tropical Asia (islands of Java and Sumatra).Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn About 25 species occur in North America (represented in five sections).Template:Sfn

Primula is found in the humid and moderate climate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, predominantly in the forest belt, plain meadows, Alpine lawns, and nival and meadow tundras.Template:Sfn

EcologyEdit

Primulas are used as a food plant by the Duke of Burgundy butterfly.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

CultivationEdit

Primula species have been extensively cultivated and hybridised, mainly derived from P. elatior, P. juliae, P. veris and P. vulgaris. Polyanthus (Primula × polyantha) is one such group of plants, which has produced a large variety of strains in all colours, usually grown as annuals or biennials and available as seeds or young plants.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Another huge range of cultivars, known as auriculas, are derived from crosses between P. auricula and P. hirsuta (among others). Specialist nurseries and auricula societies<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> support the growing and showing of these choice strains.

AGM cultivarsEdit

The following hybrid varieties and cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:-<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Div col

  • 'Broadwell Milkmaid' (auri)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • Charisma series (prim)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • 'Clarence Elliott' (auri)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • Crescendo Series (poly)
    • 'Crescendo Blue Shades'<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

    • 'Crescendo Bright Red'<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

    • 'Crescendo Pink and Rose Shades'<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • Danova Series (prim)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

    • 'Danova Rose'<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • 'Francisca' (poly)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • 'Guinevere' (poly)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • Primula × loiseleurii 'Aire Mist' (auri)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • Primula × pubescens (auri)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • 'Tony' (auri)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • 'Wanda' (prim)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Div col end

HybridsEdit

ReferencesEdit

<ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/299247893_Evolution_and_conservation_of_Sinai's_primrose_Primula_boveana_an_endangered_pre-glacial_relict_species_growing_on_Sinai_Mountain_Egypt, Moustafa, Abdelraouf & Mauricio, R & Mansour, Hassan (2016).</ref> Template:Reflist

BibliographyEdit

Template:Refbegin

|CitationClass=web }}

SpeciesEdit

|CitationClass=web }}, in Flora of China online vol. 15

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }} Template:Refend

External linksEdit

Template:Sister projectTemplate:Sister project

<ref>https://www.mutagens.co.in/jgb/vol.09/12/091204.pdf, CLIMATE CHANGE CAUSE EXTINCTION FOR Primula boveana FROM ITS NATURAL HABITATS IN SOUTH SINAI, EGYPT.Moustafa, A., & Mansour, S. (2020)</ref> <ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/299247893_Evolution_and_conservation_of_Sinai's_primrose_Primula_boveana_an_endangered_pre-glacial_relict_species_growing_on_Sinai_Mountain_Egypt. Moustafa, A. A., Zaghloul, M.S., Mauricio, R., and Mansour, H. M. H. (2016).</ref> <ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281438454_Characteristics_of_two_endemic_and_endangered_species_Primula_boveana_and_Kickxia_macilenta_growing_in_south_Sinai. Moustafa, A. A., Ramadan, A. A., Zaghloulol, M.S., & Helmy, M. A., (2001).</ref> Template:Taxonbar Template:Authority control