pronounced: prim-yoo-LAY-see-eye
The name is from the Latin primulus, the first, referring to the early blooming. These are herbs or slightly woody plants, usually with basal or opposite leaves, but sometimes whorled. Some species are aquatic, and many others are found near water, or at least in very moist soils. The flowers are regular and bisexual, often in clusters. There are usually 5 sepals united at the base, and the same number of petals and stamens. The petals may be united, often at the base, or separate, and the stamens are aligned opposite the petals, in the middle of them. The ovary is superior or partly inferior, with 5 united carpels forming a single chamber. The fruit is non-fleshy, usually a capsule, usually dehiscent, occasionally circumscissile.
