primula

prim·u·la

P5608150 (prĭm′yə-lə)n. See primrose.

[Short for Medieval Latin prīmula vēris, cowslip, primrose (literally, "little first one of spring") : Latin prīmula, little first one (from feminine of prīmulus, diminutive of prīmus, first; see prime) + Latin vēris, genitive of vēr, spring.]

primula

(ˈprɪmjʊlə) n (Plants) any primulaceous plant of the N temperate genus Primula, having white, yellow, pink, or purple funnel-shaped flowers with five spreading petals: includes the primrose, oxlip, cowslip, and polyanthus[C18: New Latin, from Medieval Latin prīmula (vēris) little first one (of the spring)]

Thesaurus

Noun

primula - any of numerous short-stemmed plants of the genus Primula having tufted basal leaves and showy flowers clustered in umbels or headsprimrosegenus Primula - very large and important genus of plants of temperate Europe and Asia having showy flowersEnglish primrose, Primula vulgaris - plant of western and southern Europe widely cultivated for its pale yellow flowerscowslip, Primula veris, paigle - early spring flower common in British isles having fragrant yellow or sometimes purple flowersoxlip, paigle, Primula elatior - Eurasian primrose with yellow flowers clustered in a one-sided umbelChinese primrose, Primula sinensis - cultivated Asiatic primroseauricula, bear's ear, Primula auricula - yellow-flowered primrose native to Alps; commonly cultivatedpolyanthus, Primula polyantha - florists' primroses; considered a complex hybrid derived from oxlip, cowslip, and common primroseherb, herbaceous plant - a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests

Translations

primevèreprimula

Primula

(prĭm`yələ): see primroseprimrose,
common name for the genus Primula of the Primulaceae, a family of low perennial herbs with species found on all continents, most frequently in north temperate regions.
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Primula

(primroses), a genus of plants of the family Primulaceae. The plants are perennial scapose herbs. The leaves develop in a basal rosette. The flowers, which are regular and pentamerous, are yellow, pink, or red. The inflorescences are umbellate; less commonly, the flowers are solitary. The calyx is campanulate or tubular, and the corolla is tubular with a funnelform or rotate blade. The fruit is a capsule.

There are about 500 species of primrose, distributed throughout the world. Most are encountered in temperate zones and in alpine regions. There are about 70 species in the USSR. The cowslip (P. veris), an early-spring plant measuring 10–30 cm tall, has wrinkled leaves and bright yellow flowers. It grows practically everywhere in the European USSR in dry meadows, along forest edges, and in open forests. P. macrocalyx is found in the European part of the Soviet Union (chiefly in southern regions), in the Caucasus, and in southern Siberia. The roots of both species, which contain saponins, essential oils, and glycosides, are used as expectorants. The flowers and leaves are used in the production of alcoholic drinks. The leaves contain large amounts of vitamins and saponins and are used to treat avitaminosis and other vitamin deficiencies. Several species, including the two mentioned above, are nectariferous. A number of species are ornamentals, including P. vulgaris and the oxlip (P. elatior).

REFERENCE

Fedorov, A. A. “Pervotsvet— Primula L.” In Flora SSSR, vol. 18. Moscow-Leningrad, 1952.
Atlas lekarstvennykh rastenii SSSR. Moscow, 1962.

T. V. EGOROVA

primula

any primulaceous plant of the N temperate genus Primula, having white, yellow, pink, or purple funnel-shaped flowers with five spreading petals: includes the primrose, oxlip, cowslip, and polyanthus

primula

Related to primula: Primula acaulis

noun

Synonyms for primula

noun any of numerous short-stemmed plants of the genus Primula having tufted basal leaves and showy flowers clustered in umbels or heads

Synonyms

primrose

Related Words

genus Primula
English primrose
Primula vulgaris
cowslip
Primula veris
paigle
oxlip
Primula elatior
Chinese primrose
Primula sinensis
auricula
bear's ear
Primula auricula
polyanthus
Primula polyantha
herb
herbaceous plant