PRIMROSE

any flowering plant of the genus Primula, of the family Primulaceae, with more than 500 species, chiefly occurring in the Northern Hemisphere in cool or mountainous regions. The plants are low-growing, usually perennial herbs; a few are biennials. Most species grow 25 to 50 cm (10 to 20 inches) tall, but some are as short as 5 cm and others as tall as 120 cm. Many species are cultivated for their attractive flowers. The stalk is short or absent. The stalked leaves may be long and narrow, tufted, or roundish and are crowded together. On the lower side the midrib is often prominent. The stalked flowers are solitary or borne in loose umbels (i.e., the flower stalks arise from one point, and the flowers are in a flat or ball-like cluster). The five petals of the flowers are joined to form a five-lobed corolla that may be red, pink, purple, blue, white, or yellow. The fairy primrose (P. malacoides) and the Chinese primrose (P. sinensis) are generally grown in greenhouses. The polyanthus hybrids, including P. veris (the European cowslip), P. elatior, and P. vulgaris, are popular garden primroses.