Primula aemula I. B. Balfour & Forrest in I. B. Balfour, Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh. 9: 2. 1915.
Section Crystallophlomis, Subsection Maximowiczii
Link to Flora of China description
Type specimen: Forrest 10687, 11284 resides at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (specimens E00024251, E00024252, E00024809) and British Museum (specimen BM000996941)and US National Herbarium (specimen US00116446) and KEW (specimens K000732979, K000732980) and Paris (specimens P04571321, P04571322).
P. aemula is related to P. szechuanica and has been given as a synonym. However it is recognised by the Flora of China as being distinct. It is distinguished by its more robust nature, several whorls of flowers in which the corolla lobes are patent (sometimes slightly bent back). It was first collected on the Chungtien (Zhongdian) plateau, Yunnan but has also been found in SW Sichuan.
