Primula 2020

[Gabriela]

Beautiful Primulas from all! I need to grow a few more species, a bluish P. sieboldii would be more than nice.
Stefan - is that P. frondosa in wild habitat?

Only P. vulgaris ssp. are in flower here. I understand is practically only the flower color that distinguish them from P. vulgaris.
P. vulgaris ssp. sibthorpii (or hybrid), very early even by its standard, in full flower last week.

And a young P. vulgaris ssp. woronowii.

[Stefan B.]

Stefan - is that P. frondosa in wild habitat?

(Attachment Link)

Hi Gabriela,
It is a wild plant found only in the Central Balkan Mountains, Bulgaria. A rare and protective species. The seeds are from Gatineau botanical garden - Canada.
Regards,
Stefan

[Gabriela]

Hi Gabriela,
It is a wild plant found only in the Central Balkan Mountains, Bulgaria. A rare and protective species. The seeds are from Gatineau botanical garden - Canada.
Regards,
Stefan

Sorry Stefan, I forgot to open this topic. Thank you, yes I know is endemic from Bulgaria that's why I thought maybe you had the chance to see it in the wild. Interesting you grew it from Canadian seeds origin I also have it in the garden, should start to flower soon.

[David Nicholson]

Three Dodecatheons.

Dodecatheon media
D. pauciflorum (red)
D. pauciflorum 'Comet'

[Gail]

Primula sieboldii 'Kafka on the Shore'

[Gabriela]

Primula sieboldii 'Kafka on the Shore'

Nice sieboldii! with a good name

Dainty Primula mistassinica today (yes, there is snow on the ground)

[Leena]

Two very pretty Primulas from Barnhaven, the first is 'Sundae' and the second 'Raspberry Ripple'.

[Maggi Young]

Compilation shot  of  Primula sieboldii flowers  from Olga Bondareva

[Claire Cockcroft]

I think this is Primula septemloba, grown from wild-collected seed.  It completely disappears in winter.

[Maggi Young]

I think this is Primula septemloba, grown from wild-collected seed.  It completely disappears in winter.

Not  one  I am familiar  with - but, as usual, Pam Eveleigh's Primula World site  has  information.....
http://www.primulaworld.com/PWweb/photogallery.htm

[Andre Schuiteman]

1. Primula waltonii, sown 28 January 2018 from SRGC seed list 2017/2018-3090, listed as Primula ioessa. First flower opened 18 May 2020, other seedlings just start to flower now. It's not unattractive with its very deep claret flowers that become lighter with age, but I'm a bit disappointed that it isn't P. ioessa.

2. Primula grignensis, or at least bought under this name. I don't see any difference with P. hirsuta.

[Maggi Young]

Hello Andre, shame  about the  not-ioessa.

 I think the  differences  between grigensis and  hirsuta  are  very  slight  .....
  quoting  Primula World ....
Primula grignensis D.M.Moser
Section Auricula, Subsection Euauricula
Type specimen: D.M. Moser s.n. 25 Mai 1996, Italien, Lecco, Cresta Cermenati, 1950m resides at G (specimen G00440611).

Reference paper: S. Creme & G.Cristofolini, Phylogeny of Primula Subsect. Euaricula - A case study on origin and evolution of alpine endemism, Ann. Mus. Civici-Rovereto 28: 135-159. 2013.
Epithet: Named for Le Grigne Mountains, Lake Como region , Italy.
Distribution: Italy

A close relative of P. valcuvianensis and P. hirsuta but distinguished genetically (See reference paper). This species is found growing on limestone on the Italian Grigna massif, above Lake Como. In the original description this species was compared with P. daonensis by having less sharply toothed leaf margins and calyx lobes actute, and compared with P. villosa by having smaller leaves and glandular hairs that are not red. Compared with P. hirsuta the calyx lobes are patent with the tube (spreading in hirsuta). This species hybridizes with P. auricula in the wild.

[Andre Schuiteman]

Thanks Maggi. I know that reference and have even compared the calyx lobes in photos of P. grignensis from the type locality and P. hirsuta* from other places. I can't find any difference whatsoever. The main distinction seems to be that P. grignensis grows on limestone, whereas P. hirsuta grows on acidic rock types. My plant seems happy enough without limestone, but that doesn't prove anything.

*Take this photo of P. hirsuta for example: https://www.biolib.cz/en/image/id142919/
The calyx lobes are not spreading at all.

[Andre Schuiteman]

Primula bella. Seed ex Holubec (as P. nanobella, which is considered a synonym). Sown on 22 December 2019 in a mix of equal parts ericaceous soil and grit with some sharp sand, stood outside without protection. First germination 19 February 2020. The tiny seedlings pricked out in May in ericaceous soil + grit, always kept damp and out of direct sunlight but without overhead shade. First flowering 2 October 2020. The flower is 13 mm across and the largest rosette is 2 cm across.

This is a high-alpine Chinese species (Yunnan, Baima Shan, 4400 m) which I expected to be difficult to keep alive, so I am pleasantly surprised how well it has done - so far. It even survived a heat wave with four days above 35 degrees Celsius. Whether it will survive the coming winter is another matter; I plan to give it some protection against winter wet.

[Steve Garvie]

Very nice and well done!