Primroses. Primula vulgaris, the common primrose, is a species of flowering plant in the family Primulaceae, native to western and southern Europe, northwest Africa, and parts of southwest Asia.
The common name is primrose, or occasionally common primrose or English primrose to distinguish it from other Primula species also called primroses.None of these are closely related to the evening primroses. The scientific name Primula is a diminutive of the Latin primus, prime, alluding to the fact that this flower is among the first to appear in spring.
The vernacular name has the same meaning: primrose derives from a late Latin form prima rosa, consisting of prima, first, and rosa, rose. The Latin specific epithet vulgaris means common, in the sense of widespread.
Primula vulgaris is a perennial growing 10-30 cm tall, with a basal rosette of leaves which are more-or-less evergreen in favoured habitats. It flowers in early spring in the northern hemisphere on slopes and meadows.
The leaves are 5-25 cm long and 2-6 cm broad, often heavily wrinkled, with an irregularly crenate to dentate margin. The leaf blade is gradually attenuated towards the base and unevenly toothed. The single stem, extremely short, is hidden in the centre of the leaf rosette. The delicately scented flowers are 2-4 cm in diameter, borne singly on short slender stems. The flowers are typically pale yellow, though white or pin