Primulaceae

P. auriculata Lam., Tabl. Encycl. 1:429 (1792); Smith & Fletcher in Trans. Roy. Soc. Edinb. 61:58 (1943). Syn: P. glacialis Adam ex Roemer & Schultes, Syst. Veg. 4:785 (1819); O.Schwarz, op. cit. 332 (1968); P. auriculata Lam. var. glacialis (Adams ex Rupr.) Boiss., Fl. Or. 4:28 (1875); P. auriculata Lam. var. bornmuelleri Hausskn. ex Bornm. in Mitt. Thür. Bot. Ver. 20:38 (1905) and var. calva Hausskn. & Bornm., loc. cit. 39; P. auriculata Lam. subsp. pycnorrhiza (Ledeb.) Wendelbo in Rech. fil., Fl. Iranica - Primulaceae: 10 (1965). Ic: Bot. Mag. t. 392 (1797), as P. longifolia Curt.
Glabrous perennial, (2-)7-70(-80) cm, sometimes farinose above. Leaves to 26 x 5 cm, narrowly oblanceolate, obovate-spathulate to broadly obovate, gradually narrowed into broad petiole usually much shorter than lamina, margin bluntly and shallowly toothed, sometimes ± entire or more deeply dentate Inflorescence umbellate, 3-many-flowered. Bracts frequently longer than pedicels linear-triangular to narrow ovate, usually saccate. Pedicels (l-)2-12(-21) mm, unequal. Calyx 3-9 mm, cylindrical to campanulate, divided to c. ½ into oblong to triangular lobes, often minutely glandular ciliate. Corolla tube 1 ½-3 x calyx, rarely ± equalling it, lobes 4-8 mm, bilobed, pale mauve to deep purple-red. Capsule ± globose to shortly ovoid, usually somewhat exceeding calyx. Fl. 5-8. Moist turf, wet flushes often nr snow, margins of streams and lakes etc., 1250-3150 m.
Described from the Orient (probably on cultivated material grown from seed collected by Michaux in Iran; Hamadan, mt. Alvand, P-Lam., photo!).
Mainly N., S. & E. Anatolia. A2(A) Bursa: Ulu Da., Pichler 1874:25! Bursa to Ulu Da. road, 1500 m, Price 703! A3 Ankara: Oluk Da., S.W. of Bolu, 2380 m, O.Schwarz. A4 Kastamonu/Çankiri: Ilgaz Da. pass above Karakol, 200-2150 m, Bornm. 1929:14382! A5 Sinop: Kos Da., 1250 m, Tobey 2778! A/B6 Sivas: Yildiz-Köy, 1300 m, Bornm. 1890:2398 (type of var. bornmuelleri). A7 Gümü-şane: Stadodopi, Sint. 1894:5698! A8 Rize: Ikizdere, Cermanin Tepe above Cimil, 3100 m, D. 21086! A9 Kars: Yağmurlu Da. between Karaurgan and Sarikamiş, 2200 m, D. 29491! B2 Kütahya: Murat Da. above Gediz at Kesik Söğüt, 1900 m, D. 36785! B6 Maraş: Binboğa Da. on Işik Da. above Karli Y,, 2200 m, D. 19998! B7 Tunceli: Munzur Da. above Ovacik, 2400 m, D. 31340! B8 Erzurum: Gez Y., 2400 m, T.Baytop (ISTE 19874)! B9 Van: Hoşap to Başkale, E. side of pass, 2650 m, D. 44729! B10 Ağri: Ağri Da. (Ararat), Wagner. C2 Muğla: Ak Da., 2800 m, O.Schwarz. C3 Isparta: mt. Anemas (Anamas Da.), 2130 m, viii 1845, Heldr.! C4 Antalya: Eğri G., N. of Geyik Da., D. 14684! C5 Niğde: Bolkar Maden, 2500 m, Siehe 1912:213! C6 Maraş: Nurihak Da., 2400 m, Stn. & Hend. 5656! C9 Van: Kulinazu Da., 2500-2800 m, Frödin 1936: 155, 156. C10 Hakkari: Sat Da. between Varegöz and Sat G., 2600-2800 m, D. 45624!
Caucasia, Iran, N. Iraq, Afghanistan, Turkestan. Ir.-Tur. element? P. auricu-lata is a very variable species, ranging from plants with narrow almost entire-margined leaves, slender scapes and small heads containing short-pedicelled flowers, to robust specimens with broad, ± serrated leaves and longer pedicels. The latter have recently been treated as P. glacialis by O.Schwarz (loc. cit.) and as P. auriculata subsp. pycnorrhiza by Wendelbo (loc. cit.), both of whom restrict this taxon to N.E. Turkey and the Caucasus.