Primula meadia

Native

Minnesota endangered species

Dry to wet. Prairies, woods. Full sun.

April to June

White, light pink, or rosy pink, rarely magenta

8″ to 24″

This is a 8″ to 24″ tall, erect, perennial forb that rises from fibrous, slightly thickened roots. The roots produce a rosette of basal leaves and one or more flowering stalks.

There is no central stem.

The leaves are all basal. They are oblong or oblong lance-shaped, 2⅓″ to 8″ long, but usually no longer than 4″, and ¾″ to 2½″ wide. They are rounded or blunt at the tip, taper gradually to the leaf stalk, and are reddish at the base and along the single, conspicuous midvein. The margins are untoothed. The upper and lower surfaces are hairless.

The inflorescence is an umbel of 4 to 25 flowers at the end of a leafless, hairless, flowering stalk (scape).

The flowers are ⅜″ to 1″ long and hang downward at the end of 1½″ long, arching flower stalks. The 5 petals are white, light pink, or rosy pink, rarely magenta, with a yellow band and maroon spots near the base. They are bent back strongly near the base and are held mostly erect. There are 5 stamens with anthers fused into a cone-shaped tube. There is no floral scent.

The fruit is an egg-shaped, dark reddish-brown capsule, ¼″ to ⅔″ long, less than 3 times as long as wide, with many seeds. The wall of the capsule is thick and firm. The capsule does not split at the bottom.

Jeweled shooting star (Primula fassettii) petals are mostly deep rose-purple or pink, rarely white. The wall of the capsule is thin and flexible.