Annual or perennial (rarely biennial) herbs (suffrutescent in some Primula), sometimes somewhat succulent (Androsace), sometimes rhizomatous (Primula), sometimes stoloniferous (Primula), sometimes with glandular hairs producing crystalline substance that forms farinose coating (Primula); resin canals sometimes present (Hottonia). Stems sometimes inflated (Hottonia). Leaves in basal rosettes (cauline and alternate, opposite, or whorled in Hottonia), simple (pinnately compound in Hottonia); stipules absent; petiole present or absent; blade margins entire, denticulate, ciliolate, or crenulate. Inflorescences terminal, scapose or sessile umbels or solitary flowers; bracts usually present. Flowers bisexual, homostylous or heterostylous (Hottonia, Primula); perianth and androecium hypogynous; sepals 4-5, connate proximally into tube; petals 4-5, connate proximally, corolla campanulate to salverform or tubular with long or short tube; nectaries absent or sometimes nectariferous hairs present; stamens 5, antipetalous, epipetalous, distinct or connate proximally; anthers opening by longitudinal slits; staminodes absent; pistils 1, 5-carpellate; ovary superior, 1-locular; placentation free-central with ± globose central axis; ovules anatropous, bitegmic, not embedded in placentae, tenuinucellate; styles 1, terminal; stigmas 1, usually capitate (rarely truncate). Fruits capsular, dehiscence valvate or operculate. Seeds 1-200+, brown or black, angular or rounded, (rarely with eliasomes in some Primula); embryo straight; endosperm copious, starchless.
Herbs perennial or annual, rarely suffruticose. Leaves alternate, opposite, or whorled, often all basal, simple, entire to lobed. Flowers solitary or in panicles, racemes, or umbels, usually with bracts, perfect, (4- or)5(--9)-merous, often heterostylous (Primula). Calyx persistent. Corolla gamopetalous, actinomorphic, rarely absent (Glaux). Stamens as many as and opposite corolla lobes, ± epipetalous, occasionally with scalelike staminodes. Filaments free or connate into a tube at base. Ovary superior, rarely semi-inferior (Samolus), unilocular; placentation free central; style simple; stigma inconspicuous, capitate. Fruit a capsule, dehiscing by valves, rarely circumscissile or indehiscent. Seeds many or few; embryo small, straight, surrounded by endosperm.
Fls regular, perfect, hypogynous (half-epigynous in Samolus), usually 5-merous; cor (absent in Glaux) sympetalous; stamens as many as the cor-lobes and opposite them (free in Glaux); ovary unilocular, with several or many ovules on a free-central placenta; style 1; stigma capitate or truncate; fr a capsule; seeds with copious endosperm; herbs with simple (pinnatifid in Hottonia), exstipulate lvs. 30/1000.
Flowers solitary to paniculate, actinomorphic, hermaphrodite
Annual or perennial herbs or rarely shrubs; stems erect or procumbent and rooting at the nodes
Leaves mostly basal, rarely cauline, alternate, opposite or verticillate, simple or lobate, often dentate; stipules absent
Stamens inserted on the corolla, the same number as and opposite to the lobes
Corolla hypocrateriform, campanulate or tubular, lobes 5, imbricate
Fruit a capsule, many-seeded or very rarely 1-seeded
Ovary superior, rarely semi-inferior, 1-celled with a free basal placenta and numerous, or very rarely few ovules
Seeds angular with a small straight embryo in copious endosperm
Flowers actinomorphic or very rarely zygomorphic, hermaphrodite, often heterostylous, solitary or in racemose, spicate, paniculate, umbellate or verticillate inflorescences
Calyx gamosepalous, free or rarely partially adnate to the ovary, (4)5(9)–partite, usually persistent
Fruit a capsule with valvate or circumscissile dehiscence, rarely indehiscent
Annual or perennial herbs or rarely shrubs; stems erect or prostrate and rooting at nodes
Ovary superior or rarely semi–inferior, unilocular; placentation free–central; ovules 2–3 or more, usually many
Leaves exstipulate, basal or cauline, alternate, opposite or verticillate, simple or lobed, entire or dentate
Corolla gamopetalous, rotate to campa–nulate with a very short to long tube and 4–9–lobed limb, rarely absent
Stamens equalling corolla–lobes, usually adnate to the corolla, oppositipetalous, sometimes alternating with staminodes
Annual or perennial herbs, or rarely shrubs; stems erect or prostrate and rooting at the nodes
Stamens equal in number to and inserted opposite the corolla-lobes
Ovary superior or rarely half inferior, 1-locular; ovules 2–3 or usually many on a free central placenta
Calyx gamosepalous, free or rarely adnate to the ovary, 4–9-partite, usually persistent
Corolla gamopetalous, rotate, hypocrateriform or campanulate, with a very short to long tube and 4–9-partite limb, or corolla rarely absent
Leaves basal or cauline, alternate, opposite or verticillate, simple or lobed, entire or dentate; stipules absent
Flowers axillary and solitary, racemose, verticillate or paniculate, hermaphrodite, regular, sometimes heterostylous
Fruit a capsule, valvate or circumscissile or rarely indehiscent
Seeds small, 1, few or usually numerous, often angular
Herbes'annuelles ou vivaces, dressées ou couchées et s'enracinant parfois aux nœuds, sous-arbrisseaux, rarement arbrisseaux.'Feuilles'sans stipules, alternes, opposées ou verticillées, parfois toutes en rosette, généralement simples, entières ou ± profondément découpées. Inflorescences radicales, caulinaires, axillaires ou terminales, à fleurs solitaires ou groupées en épis, racèmes, panicules ou ombelles; bractées situées à la base du pédicelle, plus rarement sur le pédicelle lui-même.'Fleurs'actinomorphes, rarement zygomorphes, ☿, (3-4)5(6-9)-mères; calice libre ou ± soudé à l'ovaire; sépales libres ou ± longuement soudés entre eux; corolle à préfloraison imbriquée, quinconciale ou contortée; pétales libres ou ± longuement soudés entre eux, rarement nuls; étamines épipétales, alternant parfois avec des staminodes; filets libres ou partiellement soudés entre eux; anthères introrses, à 2 thèques s'ouvrant par fentes longitudinales; ovaire supère à semi-infère, 1-loculaire, à placentation centrale, multiovulé; style simple; stigmate entier.'Fruits : capsules (3)5-10-valvaires, pyxides ou fruits indéhiscents.\n\t\t\tFamille comprenant 28 genres et environ 800 espèces. Pour la Flore : 4 genres et 12 espèces.
SELECTED REFERENCES Anderberg, A. A. 2004. Primulaceae. In: K. Kubitzki et al., eds. The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants. 7+ vols. Berlin, etc. Vol. 6, pp. 313-319. Anderberg, A. A. and S. Kelso. 1996. Phylogenetic implications of endosperm cell wall morphology in Douglasia, Androsace, and Vitaliana (Primulaceae). Nordic J. Bot. 16: 481-486. Källersjö, M., G. Bergqvist, and A. A. Anderberg. 2000. Generic realignment in primuloid families of the Ericales s.l. (Angiosperms): A phylogenetic analysis based on DNA sequences from three chloroplast genes and morphology. Amer. J. Bot. 87: 1325-1341. Lens, F. et al. 2005. Comparative wood anatomy of the primuloid clade (Ericales s.l.). Syst. Bot. 30: 163-183. Martins, L., C. Oberprieler, and F. H. Hellwig. 2003. A phylogenetic analysis of Primulaceae s.l. based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) DNA sequence data. Pl. Syst. Evol. 237: 75-85. Mast, A. R. et al. 2001. Phylogenetic relationships in Primula L. and related genera (Primulaceae) based on noncoding chloroplast DNA. Int. J. Pl. Sci. 162: 1381-1400. Mast, A. R., D. M. S. Feller, S. Kelso, and E. Conti. 2004. Buzz-pollinated Dodecatheon originated from within the heterostylous Primula subgenus Auriculastrum (Primulaceae): A seven-region cpDNA phylogeny and its implications for floral evolution. Amer. J. Bot. 91: 926-942. Mast, A. R. and J. L. Reveal. 2007. Transfer of Dodecatheon to Primula (Primulaceae). Brittonia 59: 79-82. Schneeweiss, G. M., P. Schonswetter, S. Kelso, and H. Niklfeld. 2004. Complex biogeographic patterns in Androsace and related genera: Evidence from phylogenetic analyses of nuclear internal transcribed spacer and plastid trnL-F sequences. Syst. Biol. 53: 856-876. Trift, I., M. Källersjö, and A. A. Anderberg. 2002. The monophyly of Primula (Primulaceae) evaluated by analysis of sequences from the chloroplast gene rbcL. Syst. Bot. 27: 396-407.
