Primula dickieana G.Watt, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 20: 9. 1882., Plate VIII.
Section Amethystina
Link to Flora of China description
Link to Flora of Bhutan description
Link to Nepal checklist
Type specimen: J. D. Hooker 13 (Lachen, Sikkim) resides at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (specimen E00024377) and KEW (specimens K000750102, K000750104) and Paris (specimen P04571976) and Harvard (specimen 00073573)
P. dickieana var. aureostellata: Fletcher, Trans. Bot. Soc. Edinburgh 33:218. 1942. Type specimen: R.E.Cooper 4137 resides as above. Large plant, white or pale yellow flowers with a dark yellow star-like center.
P. aureostellata (syn): Balf.f. & R.E.Cooper, Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 9: 149. 1916. Type specimen: R.E.Cooper 4173 resides at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (specimens E00024375, E00024376) and Paris (specimen P00649629) and the Smithsonian (specimen 00116453).
P. pantlingii (syn): King, J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, Pt. 2, Nat. Hist. 55(2): 228. 1886., Plate IX. Type specimen: Pantling's collector s.n. 1885 (Chopta, Sikkim) resides at Calcutta?
P. dickieana var. pantlingii (syn): W. W. Smith, Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh. 14: 39. 1923. Type specimen: Forrest 19886, 21633,19975, 20271, 20856, 22814 resides at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (specimens not imaged). Within variation of the species.
P. dickieana var. chlorops (syn): W. W. Smith & Forrest, Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh. 14: 39. 1923. Type specimen: Forrest 21674 resides at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (specimen E00024378) and Kew (specimen K000732908). Dwarf plant, purple-blue flowers.
Epithet: Named for George Dickie.
Distribution: Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Arunachal Pradesh, Myanmar, Yunnan, SE Tibet (Xizang).
The most unusual member of this Section because the flowers are flat faced (rather than bell-shaped) and the throat is hairy. Originally described from Sikkim, this species has a large distribution and varies in vigor and flower color, so that it is almost impossible to separate out distinct varieties, though the Flora of Bhutan recognises P. dickieana var. aureostella. Populations exist with both purple and yellow flowered forms growing together and yellow forms may actually be white with a variable yellow center. The original description described the yellow flowered form. Leaves are typical for the Section being oblanceolate, cartilaginous, efarinose, with small pits on the surface, with an acute apex and minutely denticulate at the margin. P. dickieana var. gouldii is considered P. kingii. If you have images of this species from Bhutan (near the Tang Valley), please contact the webmaster.
