![]() ![]() ![]() A change of religion transferred the idea to the Virgin Mary and on to Saint Peter whose emblem is a key. The Norse saw a bunch of keys in the flowers and thought them the keys to the Goddess Freya’s treasure palace, she being the Key Virgin. It has a wealth of old names, including Herb Peter, Paigle, Peggle, Key Flower, Our Lady’s Keys, Fairy cups, Petty Mulleins, Crewel, Buckles, Palsywort, Plumrocks, Mayflower, Password, Artetyke, Arthritica and Drelip. The botanical name, Primula veris, means the firstling of spring. As such they are excellent indicator plants for this environmentĬowslips leaves were eaten in salads and the flowers made into wineĬowslip derives from the Anglo Saxon ‘Cuy lippe’ meaning cow pat, indicating their growing in meadows or alternatively from ‘Cow’s Leek’ where leek is an old name for any plant. In Britain, oxlips are very localised in their distribution being stubbornly tied to ancient woodland. It’s not obvious, but if you trace the flower stems back on a Primrose you will find they all come from a single point just like those of the cowslip Its notable that the flowers of all of our native Primula are carried on umbels, with the flower stalks all coming from one point. It also found favour in high places as Queen Victoria is reported to have sent a wreath of Disraeli’s favourite Primroses as a tribute to her friend on his death in 1881. Plants with a long style are known as pin-eyed, those with long stamens thrum-eyed.īefore modern agriculture, the fragrant booms were so prolific that they were gathered to make Primrose wine, Primrose pottage or crystallised for cake decorations. This is a mechanism to ensure cross pollination between plants, bees having visited one type of flower only being able to deposit pollen to the other type of flower. Primroses are heteromorphic that is they exist with flowers that either have long style and short stamens or the reverse case. Primula elatior, our native oxlip, and P.veris, the cowslip, are plants of damp meadows but do equally well in the garden even in full sun if other plants can afford the crown a little shade in high Summer. Primroses enjoy medium to heavy moisture retentive loam with added organic matter and a cool position, easily afforded by ensuring a little shade. Even double forms in a variety of colours exist. ![]() It has given us a host of ‘modern’ multi-coloured offspring and hybrids another British native, the cowslip (P.veris). Indeed its very name, Primrose, is derived from the Latin ‘prima rosa’ the first rose of the year. Our native Primrose, P.vulgaris, was once a common sight in woodland, hedge banks and railway cuttings wher its scented yellow blossonms announced the arrival of Spring. ![]() Although many come from high altitude areas in the Himalayas they will readily thrive in Britain given humus rich soils and shade from the heat of the sun. The genus Primula covers over 400 species which inhabit many continents, but almost all come from areas of cool summers with adequate moisture and humidity when in active growth. Easy and suitable for the ground of tubs and containers. This is one of a range of auriculas bred to be really garden worthy with strong stems that will hold the flowers up well above the foliage without bowing over. The double flowers are like minature roses coloured in flesh pink, shaded deep apricot in the centre. Primula auricula ‘Late Romantic’ is a subtle little beauty. Classification of the Plant Kingdom ( some of it anyway !)ĭescription Primula auricula ‘Late Romantic’.They are designed to give you an overview of how different plants are related. Pages arranged along Taxonomic lines Each page covers one Order (the level above Family) and lists all of the Families within that Order and then the contained Genera within that. Or use the big button on the left to go to one page organised pictorially. I've split them into 4 letter based tabs to make browsing easier. Botanical Style Photographs taken against a white background Browse these pages to easily see how different varieties differ from one another. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |