- Primula alpicola
Taxobox | name = "Primula alpicola"
regnum =Plant ae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis =Magnoliopsida
ordo =Ericales
familia =Primulaceae
genus = "Primula "
species = "P. alpicola"
binomial = "Primula alpicola"
binomial_authority = (W.W.Sm.) Stapf"Primula alpicola", sometimes called the moonlight primrose, is a species of "
Primula " native to southeasternTibet , where it grows in vast numbers along theTsangpo valley alongside "Primula florindae ". Their habitats hardly ever overlap; "P. florindae" prefers wetter soils close to rivers, giving way to "P. alpicola" on drier sites.It was first collected in 1926 by
Frank Kingdon-Ward , and was described as a variety of "Primula microdonta " by William Wright Smith, but later raised to a distinct species by Otto Stapf.It grows to 15-50 cm (rarely to 1 m) tall with many bell-shaped
flower s. The flowers can be in several colours, white, cream, yellow and shades of purple. These are sometimes referred to as varieties, such as var. "violacea"; however there is some considerable inconsistency in the naming. Kingdon-Ward gave it the temporary name "Joseph's Sikkimensis" after Joseph's coat of many colours.This plant is hardy in most of the UK and is available from specialist and larger
garden centre s.References
* [http://www.ars-grin.gov/~sbmljw/cgi-bin/taxon.pl?29585 Germplasm Resources Information Network: "Primula alpicola"]
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