Primulaceae

A. maxima L., Sp. Pl. 141 (1753). Ic: Hegi, Ill. Fl. Mittel-Eur. 5(3) : ]810
f. 2816(1927).
Erect annual, 1-15 cm. Leaves 3-35 x 2-20 mm, elliptic to broadly ovate, ± parallel-nerved, margin remotely and bluntly denticulate, glabrous or sparsely hairy. Scapes with an indumentum of simple often crisped white hairs and minute glandular hairs. Inflorescence (l-)2-9(-15)-flowered. Bracts 3-20x1-9 mm, foliaceous, elliptic to obovate, equal to or longer than pedicels, seldom shorter. Pedicels equal or not. Calyx 4-14 mm, ± hirsute, lobes equalling or longer than tube. Corolla included in calyx, white to pink. Capsule 2-6 mm. Fl. 4-5. Limestone or igneous rocks and screes, gravel sand or clay steppe, open Pinus woods, cultivated or fallow fields, 300-1850 m.
Described from France (Hb. Linn. 197/1, 2, photo!).
Mainly Inner, W. & S. Anatolia. A1(E) Edirne: Edirne, Nejčev. A3 Bilecik: S. of Bilecik station, 400 m, D. 42070! A4 Ankara: Çubuk De., 900 m, v 1936, Krause & Birand. A5 Samsun: Vezirköprü. Kizilirmak, 400 m, Tobey 2426! A6 Tokat: Tokat, 600-700 m, Borum. 1893:3433! A7 Gümüşane: Daltaban, Sint. 1894:5430! A8 Çoruh: (Grossheim 7: map 185). A9 Kars: Gölebert nr Ardahan, 1800 m, D. 30422! B1 Manisa: Manisa Da., c. 900 m, Lewejohann (TU-74-071) & Holtz! B2 Kütahya: 21 km S.W. of Kütahya, 960 m, Hub.-Mor. 14359. B3 Eskişehir: Eskişehir to Seezora(?), Scheibe 1261! B4 Ankara: c. 70 km from Ankara to Konya, 1100 m, Coode & Jones 88! B6 Maraş: Mehmet Bey, 10 km N. of Göksun, 1300 m, D. 27606! B7 Elaziğ: Gölcük, 1190 m, E.S.Brown 2444! B8 Erzurum: Erzurum, Tchihatcheff; 'Armenia', Calvert & Zohrab! B9 Van: 7 km from Van to Erçek, 1850 m, D. 44342! B10 Ağri: 18 km from Doğubayazit to Iğdir, N. side of Pamuk Da. pass, 1850 m, D. 43549! C2 Aydin: below Karacasu, 400-500 m, D. 41646! C3 Burdur: Burdur G., vi 1845, Heldr.! C4 Içel: Mut, Mağras Da. summit, 1400 m, Coode & Jones 782! C5 Içel: Dumbelek pass, Siehe 1911:413! C6 Gaziantep: Dülük Baba N. of Gaziantep, 1000 m, D. 27936!
C. & S. Europe, N.W. Africa, C. & S. Russia, Siberia, Caucasia, Iran, Iraq, W. Syria to Afghanistan and Soviet C. Asia. Formal varieties of A. maxima have often been recognized, based on relative length of bracts and pedicels, on characters of indumentum and calyx and on flower colour and size. In addition to these characters the specimens studied from Turkey show considerable variation in the shape of the bracts and in the degree to which their bases are connate and/or saccate, in the shape of the corolla lobes and the length of the corolla tube. As these characters do not appear to be correlated, no variant warrants formal recognition.