Primulina guilinensis type species 桂林報春苣苔 and Primulina guilinensis var. longipedunculata 長梗桂林報春苣苔 ( syn. Chirita guilinensis )

Introduction of Primulina guilinensis type species and Primulina guilinensis var. longipedunculata
( syn. Chirita guilinensis ) 長梗桂林報春苣苔

The following is the type species of Primulina guilinensis. It bears one of the biggest flowers in the genus Primulina. It has shorter flower spikes and most flowers open right above leaf surface. Leaf arrangement is mainly rosette like. Most of the examples I observed are deep purple in color. There are some rare clones that are having certain extent of reddish color. I have breed 2 relatively reddish clones last year and they are not big enough to flower this year. Hope their offsprings show some special color of this species

The other commonly seen Primulina guilinensis is one having much longer spikes with more flower count known as Primulina guilinensis var. longipedunculata. Flowers are a bit smaller than the type species but they are still very big compared with other Primulina species. This variety was not validly published but it is so special that it worth recognition with good cultural value. Leaf of this variety is more or less eliptic with leaf tip more acute compared to the type species. There are rare clones of the Primulina guilinensis var. longipedunculata which shown leaf variegation on their leaves. Such variegation was proven to be able to inherited to their offsprings. Hope there will be more interesting Primulina hybrids to come in the future with the introduction of new variegated plants into the existing breeding stream.