T

he Himalayan native primulas

are commonly found in

temperate zone of Northern

Hemisphere. The herbaceous

plants feature non-woody

stems that are not hard. The leaves form a

rosette at the base of the stem. A rosette, a type

of leaf arrangement, means leaves radiating

from a center and generally spreading over the

ground. The leafless stem usually bears pretty

flowers in umbels, a type of flower arrangement

resembling an umbrella. Each flower stalk

emerging from a common point, say the apex of

the stem, forms around or flat cluster of flowers

in the umbel. The bloom color varies with

species.

Drumstick Primula at Chhitki, Urgam

Drumstick Primula

The perennial drumstick primula grows

on open slopes and in shrubberies at an

altitude ranging from 1,500 to 4,500m

during April-June. Color of the flowers

with five bi-lobed petals varies from

purple to mauve-blue. A lobe is a deeply

divided part of the petal but the part is

not separated from the petal. The flowers

form compact globular clusters. The

oblong leaves are much longer than the

width and the margins almost run parallel

Pretty Primulas

Himalayan Key

Flora

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Volume 4, Issue 1 | June 2019