"Primula" is a Latin word for "early spring," but for the mountains of Shangri-La where the altitude is over 3,000 meters above sea level, the colorful primula plants thrive in late June.

Shangri-La is a county-level city in Yunnan Province. The humid continental climate and low degree of human interference have provided a comfortable living environment for many unique species. 

The yellow and pink-purple primula both have bell-shaped flowers and they look the same outside of color, but they are actually not the same species.

Primula secundiflora or exentric flower primrose is a kind of beautiful Chinese primula with a purple-pink color. It is endemic to the northwestern part of Yunnan Province, eastern Qinghai and western Sichuan Province.

Primula florindae also known as giant cowslip or florind primrose, it was first collected by an English botanist Frank Kindon-Ward and was named after his wife Florinda. This species is more commonly found in eastern Tibet.

In China, these flowers are commonly found in the forests, however, in western countries they are introduced and growing at the edge of ponds and in bog gardens.

China's Flora Tour

From the wetlands along the coast to the dense rainforests hidden in the southwest of China, all boast an array of plant species. In this series, we will go on a tour to learn about some of the most representative flora in different provinces and see how they live in harmony with the local geography and climate.

Read More:

China's Flora Tour: Yunnan-Hidden treasures of tertiary relict plant

China's Flora Tour: Yunnan-Don't judge a flower by its look

China's Flora Tour: Yunnan-A purple medusa living on the rocky mountain slopes

China's Flora Tour: Yunnan-Touch the sky, the colorful poppy in the Himalayas

(Cover image credits to CGTN's Xing Fangyu, designed by Qu Bo.)

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