Aquatic and Wetland Vascular Plants of the Northern Great Plains

Primulaceae - The Primrose Family

Perennial herbs; leaves simple, exstipulate, entire, opposite or mostly so (sometimes alternate above in Glaux; occasionally appearing whorled in Lysimachia quadriflora due to leaf fascicles in the axils), or the leaves all basal. Flowers perfect, regular, axillary and single or in dense axillary racemes or in a terminal umbel; calyx deeply (3-)5(-9)-parted, often nearly to the base; corolla (absent in Glaux) deeply (3-)5(-9)-lobed, rotate or salverform; stamens typically 5, epipetalous and opposite the corolla lobes (free and alternate with the sepals in Glaux); staminodes sometimes present, alternating with the stamens; stigma capitate at the tip of the single, slender style, ovary superior, 1-celled, with free-central placentation. Fruit a few- to many-seeded, 5-valved capsule.

Lead	Characteristic	Go To
1	Leaves all basal, strongly whitened beneath	Genus Primula
1	Leaves cauline, green on both surfaces.	Lead 2
2	Flowers white to pinkish, solitary and sessile in the leaf axils; corolla absent, the perianth comprised of a petaloid calyx.	Genus Glaux
2	Flowers yellow, solitary and pedicellate from the axils, or in axillary racemes; calyx and corolla both present.	Genus Lysimachia

23. Primulaceae, the Primrose Family

1. Glaux L. -- Sea milkwort

1. Glaux maritima L.

2. Lysimachia L. -- Loosestrife

1. Lysimachia ciliata L. -- Fringed loosestife

2. Lysimachia hybrida Michx.

3. Lysimachia quadriflora Sims

4. Lysimachia thyrsiflora L. -- Water loosestrife

3. Primula L. -- Primrose

1. Primula incana M. E. Jones

Previous Section -- Brassicaceae - The Mustard Family
Return to Contents
Next Section -- Grossulariaceae - The Gooseberry Family