Primula rotundifolia Wallich in Roxburgh, Fl. Ind. 2: 18. 1824.
Section Cordifoliae
Link to Flora of China description
Link to Flora of Bhutan description
Link to Nepal Checklist
Type specimen: Wallich 605, resides at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (specimens E00024709, E00024822) and The Linnean Society (specimen LINN-HS 271.6) and KEW (specimen K000639660) and the British Museum (specimen BM000521881).
P. rotundifolia nomen nudum: Wall., Numerical List, 605. 1828.
P. rotundifolia (syn): Pall., Reise iii. 223. (see pg 265 of 758)
P. cardiophylla (syn): Balf.f. & W.W.Sm., Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh. 9: 152. 1916. Type Specimen: Many listed, see document resides at Paris (specimen P04544686) and Missouri Botanical Garden (specimen MO-2373354).
P. cordata nomen nudum: Balf.f. ex W.W.Sm. & Forrest, Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh. 16:38 1928.
P. cordifolia (syn) specimen: Pax, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 10:216. 1889. Schlagintweit 14733 resides at WRSL.
P. odontophylla (syn):Wall., Numerical List, 7106. 1828 Blinkworth 7016(?) resides at KEW(?).
P. roxburghii nomen superfl. : N.P.Balakr., J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 67:63. 1972.
Epithet: Named for the round leaves.
Distribution: Nepal,Sikkim, (S Tibet ?).
This species is found in Nepal (Gosainkund, Kanchenjunga and Everest) and Sikkim (Sandakphu), but also listed in the Flora of China as being in S Tibet. A robust species with often 2 whorls of purple-pink flowers with a yellow eye. Leaves with a long distinct petiole, heart shaped (cordate) base and usually heavily coated with meal below. Grows in dry crevices and cliff ledges. Compare with P. caveana (different leaf base), P. littledalei (leaf venation is more palmate, from Tibet) and P. baileyana (emarginate corolla lobes, smaller leaves, SE Tibet).
This species has had a history of naming problems. The entries of Wallich's numerical list are nomen nudum, but the name P. rotundifolia was validly published in Flora Indica in 1824. But Pallas had already used the name P. rotundifolia in 1776, and so Balakrishnan proposed the name P. roxburghii instead, however it is now generally agreed that Pallas's name was not valid. If P. rotundifolia Wallich is also not valid then the name P. cardiophylla I. B. Balfour & W. W. Smith 1916 is the prior valid synonym, and has been used by some authors. If you have an image of this species from Sikkim or Tibet, please contact the webmaster. 如果您有来自西藏这个物种的图片，请与网站管理员联系。
