Primula is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants in the family Primulaceae. They include the primrose, 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. 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.
Primula bulleyana is a species of flowering plant in the family Primulaceae, native to hillsides in China.
Primula vulgaris, the common primrose, is a species of flowering plant in the family Primulaceae, native to western and southern Europe, northwest Africa, and parts of southwest Asia. The common name is primrose, or occasionally common primrose or English primrose to distinguish it from other Primula species also called primroses. None of these are closely related to the evening primroses.
Primula meadia, the shooting star or eastern shooting star, is a species of flowering plant in the primrose family Primulaceae. It is native to the eastern United States and Canada, spanning north from Manitoba and New York, south to Texas and Florida.
Primula tetrandra, synonyms Dodecatheon tetrandrum and Dodecatheon alpinum, is a perennial plant in the primrose family, Primulaceae, known by the common name alpine shooting star.
Primula jeffreyi, synonym Dodecatheon jeffreyi, is a species of flowering plant in the primrose family known by the common names Sierra shooting star, Jeffrey's shooting star, and tall mountain shooting star. This wildflower is native to western North America from California to Alaska to Montana, where it grows in mountain meadows and streambanks. This is a thick-rooted perennial with long, slightly wrinkled leaves around the base. It erects slim, tall, hairy stems which are dark in color and are topped with inflorescences of 3 to 18 showy flowers. Each flower nods, with its pointed center aimed at the ground when fresh, and becomes more erect with age. It has four or five reflexed sepals in shades of pink, lavender, or white which lie back against the body of the flower. Each sepal base has a blotch of bright yellow. From the corolla mouth protrude large dark anthers surrounding a threadlike stigma. The flowers of this species were considered good luck by the Nlaka'pamux people, who used them as amulets and love charms. The specific epithet jeffreyi is in honor of John Jeffrey.
Primula fragrans, synonym Dodecatheon redolens, has the common name scented shooting star. It is a species of flowering plant in the primrose family.
Cortusa is a formerly recognized genus in the family Primulaceae. It is now regarded as a synonym of the genus Primula. It consisted of about 19 species of delicate, hardy, alpine perennials. The genus was named by the herbalist Matthiolus after his friend Cortusus, professor of botany at Padua, who discovered the plant originally called Cortusa matthioli (now Primula matthioli. The plants are flowering herbaceous perennials native to the mountains of southern and eastern Europe, including the Alps and the Carpathians, with some species native to China. Most of the species are small spring bloomers for shade and rock garden. These low-growing and rather handsome little plants have clumps of downy, light green, heart-shaped leaves with serrated edges. In late spring, small loose umbel of delicate bell-shaped to lily-liked flowers born terminally on drooping spikes arise from the base, some 6-8in high. Flowers are magenta, pink, white and yellow. They are dormant in some months, and as spring begins, stems and leaves quickly start to reproduce.
Primula rosea, the rosy primrose, is a flowering plant species in the genus Primula, native to the Himalayas. Growing to 50 cm (20 in) tall, it is a hardy herbaceous perennial with red-tinged leaves and clumps of rich pink flowers in spring.
Primula japonica, the Japanese primrose, Japanese cowslip, Queen of primroses, or valley red, is a species of flowering plant in the family Primulaceae, native to Japan. The common name Japanese primrose also applies to the related species Primula sieboldii.
Primula marginata, the silver-edged primrose, is a species of flowering plant in the family Primulaceae, native to the south western Alps of France and Italy.
Primula pulverulenta, the mealy primrose or mealy cowslip, is a species of flowering plant in the family Primulaceae, native to damp habitats in China. It is a herbaceous perennial growing to 100 cm (39 in) tall by 60 cm (24 in) broad, with strong stems of deep pink flowers arising from basal rosettes of leaves in early summer. The flowers are grouped at intervals along the stem in a tiered formation, hence the common name "candelabra primula" which is often applied to this and other species with a similar arrangement.
Primula prolifera, the candelabra primrose or glory of the bog, is a flowering plant in the family Primulaceae. Its botanical name is currently unresolved.
Primula carniolica is a flowering plant in the primrose family known by the common name Carniolan primrose. It is endemic to Slovenia.
Androsace americana, synonym Douglasia arctica, known as the Mackenzie River dwarf primrose, is a species of flowering plant in the primrose family, Primulaceae. It is native to subarctic North America.
Primula malacoides, called the fairy primrose or baby primrose, is a perennial species of Primula native to the Himalayas, Assam in India, Myanmar, and south-central and south east China. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Primula cockburniana, called the Cockburnia primrose, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Primula, native to south-central China. A short-lived perennial, it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Primula chionantha, the snow-white primrose, is a species of flowering plant in the family Primulaceae, native to Tibet, Sichuan and Yunnan in China. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Primula × polyantha, the polyanthus primrose or false oxlip, is a naturally occurring hybrid species of flowering plant in the family Primulaceae. It is the result of crosses between Primula veris and Primula vulgaris. It is native to Europe, found where the parent species' ranges overlap, and many artificial hybrid cultivars have also been created for the garden trade. Naturally‑occurring individuals tend to have yellow flowers, while a wide range of flower colors has been developed in the cultivars over the centuries.
Primula glutinosa, also known as the sticky primrose, is a species of flowering plant within the family Primulaceae.
