Primula cusickiana

(A. Gray) A. Gray in A. Gray et al.

in A. Gray et al., Syn. Fl. N. Amer. ed. 2, 2: 399. 1886,.

Endemic
Basionym: Primula angustifolia var. cusickiana A. Gray in A. Gray et al., Syn. Fl. N. Amer. 2: 393. 1878
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 8. Treatment on page 299. Mentioned on page 287, 290, 300.

Plants (3–) 5–10 cm, herbaceous; rhizomes short, stout; rosettes not clumped; vegetative parts only slightly farinose on calyx. Leaves not aromatic, indistinctly petiolate; petiole winged; blade without deep reticulate veins abaxially, lanceolate to spatulate, 1–4 × 0.3–1.8 (–2.3) cm, thick, margins almost entire or somewhat dentate, apex obtuse or acute, surfaces glabrous. Inflorescences 2–8-flowered; involucral-bracts plane, unequal. Pedicels erect to arcuate, thin, 2–25 (–35) mm, length ca. 1–2 times bracts, flexuous. Flowers heterostylous; calyx green, sometimes with farinose stripes on ridges, narrowly campanulate, 5–11 mm; corolla rose to magenta-violet, tube 7–14 mm, length 1–2 times calyx, glandular or eglandular, limb to 10–25 mm diam., lobes 5–10 mm, apex emarginate. Capsules ovoid, length 1 times calyx. Seeds unknown.

Discussion

Varieties 4 (4 in the flora).

Throughout the Great Basin and Intermountain Region, Primula cusickiana exhibits local variation. With the exception of P. capillaris, the members of the P. cusickiana complex are treated as varieties distinguished somewhat arbitrarily by morphological differences; geographic distribution and ecology also separate them. Genetic studies using nuclear ITS and ETS sequences, cpDNA and AFLPs (S. Kelso et al. unpubl.; A. R. Mast et al. 2004) support the close relationships in this clade and to P. capillaris. This infraspecific taxonomic recognition does not diminish their biological importance as isolated endemics almost certainly relictual from the last Ice Age and now restricted to diminishing alpine habitat islands of the Intermountain Region. Given their limited distributions and habitat, which is often threatened by climatic or anthropogenic factors, all representatives of this complex should be considered of conservation concern.

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Plants glabrous except for white farina on involucral bracts and calyces > 2
1 Plants glandular-pubescent, at least in inflorescences, white-farinose on involucral bracts and calyces > 3
2 Corolla tube length 1-1.5 times calyx. Primula cusickiana var. cusickiana
2 Corolla tube length usually ca. 2 times calyx. Primula cusickiana var. maguirei
3 Corolla tube length 1.5+ times calyx, 8-14 mm. Primula cusickiana var. domensis
3 Corolla tube length to 1.5 times calyx, 7-10 mm. Primula cusickiana var. nevadensis

No values specified."timescalyx" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property."-2timesbracts" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property."-2timescalyx" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Primula cusickiana"
acute;obtuse +
Sylvia Kelso +
(A. Gray) A. Gray in A. Gray et al. +
narrowed +, rounded +  and tapered +
Primula angustifolia var. cusickiana +
1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br /> (2.3 cm23 mm <br />0.023 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
crenulate +  and denticulate +
lanceolate;spatulate +
1 +  and 5 +
puberulent +, pilose +  and glabrous +
campanulate +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br />) +
rose +  and magenta-violet +
campanulate +
Idaho +, Nev. +, Oreg. +  and Utah +
heterostylous +
operculate +  and capsular +
nectariferous +
solitary +, involucrate +  and 2-25+-flowered +
not aromatic +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
not reflexed +
dentate +  and entire +
denticulate +  and dentate +
tenuinucellate +  and bitegmic +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
yellow;white;yellow;white;violet;rose;pink;magenta;lavender +
in A. Gray et al., Syn. Fl. N. Amer. ed. +
vesiculate +  and reticulate +
4-angled +, oblong +  and ovoid +
connate +  and distinct +
inflated +
Primula cusickiana +
species +
eglandular +  and glandular +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1.4 cm14 mm <br />0.014 m <br />) +
perennial +  and annual +
stoloniferous +  and rhizomatous +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
11 +, [10 +, 9 +  and [8 +