Primula pedemontana

The Primula pedemontana, or Piedmont primrose, is a species found in the Alps only in the western part of the mountain range. In Italy, it is found in the Aosta Valley and Piedmont: in the latter region, it is a strictly protected species.

The name of the genus Primula (from primus = first) refers to the early flowering that characterises most of the species within it, and P. pedemontana is no exception. This beautiful primrose, which inhabits high-mountain cliffs, flowers shortly after the snow melts, adorning ledges, crevices, rocky scree and stony pastures with its vivid purple corollas and bright green leaves. 

This species belongs to a group of primroses which, although difficult to distinguish from one another, form an easily recognisable group, as they all have red, purplish or lilac flowers and fleshy, toothed leaves. Particularly similar species include Primula villosa and Primula hirsuta. P. pedemontana can be distinguished from the others by a characteristic of its leaves: the margins are covered with short glandular hairs, the colour of which varies characteristically from orange to dark red.