Common Primrose

Appearance

"Primula vulgaris" is a perennial growing 10–30 cm tall, with a basal rosette of leaves which are more-or-less evergreen in favoured habitats. It flowers in early spring in the northern hemisphere on slopes and meadows.

The leaves are 5–25 cm long and 2–6 cm broad, often heavily wrinkled, with an irregularly crenate to dentate margin. The leaf blade is gradually attenuated towards the base and unevenly toothed. The single stem, extremely short, is hidden in the centre of the leaf rosette. The delicately scented flowers are 2–4 cm in diameter, borne singly on short slender stems.

The flowers are typically pale yellow, though white or pink forms are often seen in nature. The flowers are actinomorphic with a superior ovary which later forms a capsule opening by valves to release the small black seeds. The flowers are hermaphrodite but heterostylous; individual plants bear either "pin" flowers or "thrum" flowers. Fertilisation can only take place between pin and thrum flowers. Pin-to-pin and thrum-to-thrum pollination is ineffective.

Naming

The scientific name "Primula" is a diminutive of the Latin "primus", "prime", alluding to the fact that this flower is among the first to appear in spring. The vernacular name has the same meaning: primrose derives from a late Latin form "prima rosa", consisting of "prima", "first", and "rosa", "rose".

The Latin specific epithet "vulgaris" means "common", in the sense of "widespread".
Three subspecies are accepted by some sources:
⤷ "Primula vulgaris" subsp. "vulgaris". Western and southern Europe. As described above; flowers pale yellow.
⤷ "Primula vulgaris" subsp. "balearica" W.W.Sm. & Forrest. Balearic Islands. Flowers white. Leaf stem longer than leaf blade.
⤷ "Primula vulgaris" subsp. "sibthorpii" W.W.Sm. & Forrest. Balkans, southwest Asia. Flowers pink to red or purple.
Plants of the World Online accepts only one subspecies in addition to the nominate subsp. "vulgaris":
⤷ "Primula vulgaris" subsp. "atlantica" Greuter & Burdet. Morocco to Algeria.

The primrose is distinguished from other species of "Primula" by its pale yellow flowers produced singly on long flower stalks which are covered in rather shaggy hairs. The flowers open flat rather than concave as in the case of "Primula veris", the cowslip.

A pink form is widely seen, growing amongst the much more common yellow forms; this may be a genetic variant rather than a garden escape. Occasional red forms are more likely to be naturalised from garden varieties.

Distribution

The native range of "P. vulgaris" encompasses western and southern Europe. In the north, the distribution area extends from central Norway near the Faroe Islands via the British Isles, Denmark, northern Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France to southern Portugal in the south and the tip of North Africa in Algeria. To the east, the range extends through the southern European peninsulas to the Crimea, Balkans, Syria, Turkey and Armenia.

Habitat

In appropriate conditions, "P. vulgaris" can cover the ground in open woods and shaded hedgerows. It is found mainly by streams, under bushes, in orchards and clear, moist deciduous forests. Occasionally it also appears in meadows. In Central Europe plants thrive best on nutrient-rich, but lime-poor, humus-rich, loose and often stony loam soils in winter-mild situations. In more populated areas it has sometimes suffered from over-collection and theft so that few natural displays of primroses in abundance can now be found. However it is common on motorway verges and railway embankments where human intervention is restricted. To prevent excessive damage to the species, picking of primroses or the removal of primrose plants from the wild is illegal in many countries, e.g. the UK Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.Most individuals are heterostylous, the minority monostylous. The flowers of the species are visited by a variety of insects, such as butterflies, Hymenoptera, beetles and Diptera. Which visitors pollinate plants is not fully established. However, good pollinators are said to be bumblebees and hairy flies of the genus "Bombylius". However, the most common visitors to the flowers are small beetles of the genus "Meligethes" – often there are up to 12 or more pollen-covered individuals in a single flower. The beetles also fly from flower to flower and, at least theoretically, are well suited as pollinators.

The seeds have an elaiosome and are spread by ants.

Cultural

The primrose was Benjamin Disraeli's favourite flower; Primrose Day and the Primrose League were given their names in honour of this.

Primroses also appear as a charge in heraldry, for example the coat of arms of the Earl of Rosebery.

Italy chose a fuchsia primrose as the symbol of its 2020 COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

The primrose is on one side of Austria's 5 euro cent coin.

Primrose Yellow exists in some paint and color systems and is named after this flower.