Primulaceae

P. elatior (L.) Hill, Veg. Syst. 8:50 (1765); Smith & Fletcher in Trans. Bot. Soc. Edinb. 34:411-429 (1948).
Perennial, 7.5-35(-47) cm with sturdy rootstock bearing numerous thickish or stringy roots. Leaves 2.5-16.5(-31) x 0.7-6.5 cm, lamina oblanceolate, elliptic or ovate, base cuneate or truncate, shorter or longer than winged petiole, glabrous to densely tomentose beneath, margin irregularly crenate-dentate. Scape usually with short glandular hairs above. Inflorescence 2-19-flowered, subsecund. Bracts ± linear to broadly triangular, usually shorter than pedicels. Pedicels 2-24 (-40) mm, unequal. Calyx 6-18 mm, cylindrical-campanulate, midribs often darker green, lobes l.5-5(-7) mm, ± acuminate, recurved or not, shortly glandular hairy. Corolla tube 9-19 mm, equalling or longer than calyx, lobes 4-12 mm, emarginate, pale yellow or lavender to purple. Capsule equalling or exceeding calyx in length.
1. Flower lavender to deep purple-violet; capsule often 2 x calyx subsp. meyeri
1. Flower yellow; capsule equalling to 1 ½ x calyx
2. Leaf lamina glabrous to shortly pilose beneath, obovate to elliptic subsp. pallasii
2. Leaf lamina ± densely tomentose beneath, ovate or elliptic subsp. pseudoelatior
subsp. pallasii (Lehm.) W.W.Sm. & Forrest in Notes R.B.G. Edinb. 16:42 (1928); Smith & Fletcher in Trans. Bot. Soc. Edinb. 34:424-425 (1948). Syn: P. pallasii Lehm., Monogr. Prim. 38, t. 3 (1817); P. pallasii Lehm. subsp. pontica O.Schwarz, op. cit. 318 (1968)! Ic: Fl. Armenii 6: t. 9 (1973). Fl. (4-)5-7. Marshy alpine meadows and gullies, dry yayla slopes, (1300-) 1900-3200 m.
Described from the Altai.
Mainly N.E. & E. Anatolia. A7 Gümüşane: Stadodopi, Sint. 1894:5553! A8 Trabzon: Kuzitashi, Mesourach, 2470 m, Balls 438! Çoruh: Otingol, 2000 m, Stn. & Hend. 5971! Erzurum: Kop Da. pass, 2400 m, Tobey 2067! A9 Çoruh: d. Ardanuç, Kordevan Da. (Yalnizçam Da.), 2600 m, D, 30390! Kars: Ardahan to Artvin, 2700 m, Beyazoğlu 37! B6 Sivas: Çamlibel Da., 1300-1400 m, Bornm. 1893:3434 (type of subsp. pontica Schwarz)! B7 Erzincan: c. 20 km N. of Erzincan, road to Trabzon, 2000 m, lt. Leyd. 1959:1672! B8 Muş: Haçreş Da., Kurtik Da. to S. above Muş, 2200 m, Watson et al. 2821! Erzurum: Palandöken Da., 29 km from Çat to Erzurum, 2300 m, D. 47401! B9 Erzurum: Çakmak Da., 2560 m, E.S. Brown 2407! Ağri: Tahir Da. pass, 2400 m, Rix et al. 1650! Bitlis: Karz Da. above Kotum, 1980 m, D. 22231! Van: d. Çatak, Kavuşşahap Da., 3200 m, D. 23092! B10 Ağri/Kars: Ağri Da., Nordmann.C. Russia east to Soviet Central Asia, Transcaucasia. Euro-Sib. element.