Cowslip
Scientific name: Primula veris L.
Diagnostic features
Plant with short straight hairs.
Leaves abruptly contracted to petiole at base.
Flowers in an umbel on a scape to 30cm, c.8-15mm across, deep or brownish-yellow, rarely reddish.
Calyx uniformly pale green.
Chromosome number: 2n=22.
Habitat
Native; locally common in grassy places usually on light base-rich soils.
Distribution
Throughout most of British Isles, but rare in much of North.
Hybrids
- Primula x polyantha Mill. (= Primula vulgaris x Primula veris) (Synonyms: Primulax tommasinii Gren. & Godr., Primulax variabilis Goupil non Bastard) occurs sporadically where the parents meet over most of British Isles, often in scrubby areas. It is intermediate in leaf, flower and pubescence characters; the flowers are normally borne in an umbel on a scape. It is partially fertile but backcrossing and introgression are rare. The garden Polyanthus is probably of this origin, and occasionally this escapes from cultivation or persists where planted; such plants may vary considerably in flower colour, from white to orange, purple or mauve. This hybrid, Primula elatior, and plants of Primula vulgaris with a scape are often confused; careful attention to leaves, flowers and pubescence is needed to avoid this.
- Primula x murbeckii Lindq. (= Primula vulgaris x Primula elatior x Primula veris) occurs very rarely near Primula elatior in West Suffolk, both from wild parents and by pollination of wild Primula elatior by garden (sometimes purple-flowered) Primula x polyantha.
- Primula x media Peterm. (= Primula elatior x Primula veris) occurs rarely in the area of Primula elatior in East Anglia; it is intermediate in diagnostic characters and partially fertile, but backcrossing has not been detected. |
