Primula bhutanica H.R.Fletcher, Gard. Illustr. lxiii. 312.
Section Petiolares
Link to Flora of China description (combined with P. whitei).
Link to Flora of Bhutan description
Type specimen: Ludlow & Sherriff 1166 resides at BM (specimen BM000996872) and E (specimens E00024661, E00024662).
Epithet: Named for the country of Bhutan.
Distribution: Bhutan, India, Arunachal Pradesh, China, Tibet.
This species is sometimes considered a synonym of Primula whitei on the strength of a population which showed characteristics of both species (see L&S 12299, 12291 from near Tongkyuk Dzong now Dongjiu, Xizang). However populations close to the type locations of both species consistently exhibit the characters intially used to distinguish the two species, that is the calyx lobes of P. bhutanica are entire (fringed in P. whitei) and the corolla lobes are coarsely toothed at the margin (usually tridentate) (entire or finely crenualtely toothed in P. whitei). There is unverified information that the shape of the resting bud is distinct. The type location for P. bhutanica is the Choling La, Bhutan. A genetic study across the range of the two species and images from the mixed population will help solve this problem.
This species has a winter resting bud, with the bud scales persistent at flowering. Leaves dimorphic, at flowering sparsely farinose, spathulate or oblanceolate, base attenuate into winged petiole which may be almost obsolete, in fruit, leaves larger with a distinct petiole as long as the lamina and both the midrib and petiole often stained red. Scape very short in flower, later 1-8cm in fruit, with few to many pale or dark blue flowers with a white eye, sometimes tinged greenish yellow in the center and corolla lobes coarsely dentate, usually tridentate. Calyx campanulate, cut to the middle into ovate-lanceolate acute and usually entire lobes. If you have an image of this species from Tibet, please contact the webmaster. 如果您有西藏的这种物种的形象，请联系网站管理员。
