COWSLIP

Primula veris

Primrose Family [Primulaceae]  

month8apr month8april month8May

status
statusZnative
 
flower
flower8yellow
 
inner
inner8orange
 
morph
morph8actino
 
petals
petalsZ1
 (5)
type
typeZbell
 
stem
stem8round
 
smell
smell8sweet
sweet
sex
sexZbisexual

15th May 2008, Warton Crag, Near Carnforth, Lancs. Photo: © RWD
Cowslip prefers limestone or chalk areas. Here, limestone.


2nd May 2008, Greenfield, Greater Manchester. Photo: © RWD
A carpet of Cowslip


13th May 2005, (disused) Lancaster Canal, Sedgewick. Photo: © RWD
The (basal only) leaves, similar to Primrose, taper suddenly towards the ground


2nd May 2008, Greenfield, Greater Manchester. Photo: © RWD


9th May 2008, disused Lancaster to Morecambe railway 'line'. Photo: © RWD
The flowers droop preferentially to one side, emerging on drooping stalks from an umbel atop the single stem.


22nd May 2015, Alt Rifle Range, Hightown, Sefton Coast Photo: © RWD
The 5 small anthers lurking within the flower tube. The topmost one with only 4 anthers.


9th May 2008, disused Lancaster to Morecambe railway 'line'. Photo: © RWD
The flowers are cup-shaped at the extremities.


19th May 2011, Blackleach Country Pk, Walkden, Gtr M/cr. Photo: © RWD
After flowering they erect themselves from the stooped flowering posture as they go to seed/fruit looking like a different plant (but their leaves always give them away).


22nd May 2015, Alt Rifle Range, Hightown, Sefton Coast Photo: © RWD
Some of the flowers are spent; so the plant starts to point skywards.


8th June 2007, Glenridding, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
Spent Cowslips tip the sepals skywards after flowering, stigma protruding further as the ovary turns to fruit.


22nd May 2015, Alt Rifle Range, Hightown, Sefton Coast Photo: © RWD
The round stems have very short but straight hairs.


Hybridizes with : Primrose to produce False Oxlip. In addition Cowslip hybridizes with Oxlip, but these are the rarer of the two hybrids, growing only where both grow together; namely only in Eastern England.

Lookee-Likees : Oxlip and False Oxlip.

Confusable with: Polyanthus: a garden variety with much larger flowers with a pinkish or purplish hue.

Distinguishing Feature:

No familial relation to : Anything else with 'cow' in the name.

Cowslip, unlike Oxlip, has a tendency to spread and carpet grassland with a swathe. Standing less that a foot in height, it prefers to grow in alkaline soils such as limestone or chalk. The flowers are a deep yellow, orange near the base; being numerous at the top of a single leafless and downy stem, most drooping downwards and (unlike Oxlip) preferring to droop to one side or other of the stem. The leaves are Primrose-like: crinkly and forming a basal rosette, but smaller. The leaves become abruptly narrower near the base, forming a wing.

The flowers are fragrant. Cowslip is the County Flower of Northamptonshire, Surrey and Worcestershire.


USE BY BUTTERFLIES
LAYS EGGS ON CATERPILLAR CHRYSALIS BUTTERFLY
Duke of Burgundy



  Primula veris  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Primulaceae  

Distribution
family8primrose family8Primulaceae
 BSBI maps
genus8primula
Primula
(Primroses)

COWSLIP

Primula veris

Primrose Family [Primulaceae]  

WildFlowerFinder Homepage