Primula praenitens Ker Gawl.
Section Auganthus
Link to Flora of China description (as P. sinensis)
Type specimen: Reeves s.n. (1818) Canton resides at British Museum (specimen BM000996827).
Blog Post: "Primula sinensis....or Not"
P. sinensis (nom. illeg.): Sabine ex Lindl. , Coll. Bot. (Lindley) t. 7. 1821. Type specimen: Reeves s.n. (1818) Canton resides at British Museum (specimen BM000996827).
Primulidium sinense (nom. illeg.): (Sabine ex Lindl.) Spach, Hist. Nat. Vég. (Spach) 9: 355. 1840.
Auganthus praenitens (syn): (Ker Gawl.) Link, Handbuch [Link] 1: 415. 1829.
P. mandarina (syn): Hoffm., Allg. Gartenzeitung (Otto & Dietrich) 3: 195. 1835.
P. semperflorens (syn): Loisel. ex Steud., Nomencl. Bot. [Steudel], ed. 2. ii. 396.
P. sertulosa (syn): Kickx f., Mém. Soc. Linn. Paris 4: 31, t. 3. 1826.
Epithet: Named for the plant origin in China.
Distribution: Guizhou, Sichuan.
See the blog post for more information on naming. This species is also known under the name Primula sinensis. It is close to the species P. rupestris, but apparently distinct having a larger calyx in fruit, by not retaining old leaves around the base of the plant and by location. It also has taller scapes which may supposrt 1-3 whorls. The original plants which described this species were from cultivation. Leaves are vaginate, broadly ovate, cordate base and palmately lobed with the margin coarsely dentate to incised-lobulate. Flowers are pink to lilac or white. Calyx is unusual in being inflated at the base. Plant is covered in multicellular hairs which may cause an allergic reation.
