Primula boveana

Appearance

''Primula boveana'' is a perennial species. Plants possess a basal rosette of greyish-green leaves. The leaves are spear-like in shape and grow up to 20 cm long. Flowers are golden or yellow in colour, tubular and scented. The flowers are hosted on stems that can grow up to 60 cm long. Plants flower in late spring and set seed by late summer.

Distribution

''Primula boveana'' is endemic to the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt, where it can only be found in the mountain area of the Saint Katherine Protectorate of southern Sinai. The climate is arid and dry, which restricts the available habitat where the species can grow. ''P. boveana'' grows in areas where the ground is moist such as in the vicinity of wells or areas fed by snow melt such as in the valleys in sheltered mountain areas. The species especially favours granite cliffs and caves with steep slopes. Plants grows in loamy sandy soils with an average pH 8.2. It has been recorded at altitudes ranging from 1745 to 2210 meters above sea level.

Status

The entire population of ''Primula boveana'' is spread within nine subpopulations within the Saint Katherine Protectorate. By 2014 six of the nine subpopulations had been secured behind fenced enclosures. The populations are monitored by SKP rangers to detect population trends and to identify any causes of decline.

The UNEP funded the Medicinal Plants Conservation Project, which aims to conserve important plant species such as ''Primula boveana''. The project involves both the cultivating of plants within greenhouses and the storing of seeds for future use.

Habitat

''Primula boveana'' is endemic to the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt, where it can only be found in the mountain area of the Saint Katherine Protectorate of southern Sinai. The climate is arid and dry, which restricts the available habitat where the species can grow. ''P. boveana'' grows in areas where the ground is moist such as in the vicinity of wells or areas fed by snow melt such as in the valleys in sheltered mountain areas. The species especially favours granite cliffs and caves with steep slopes. Plants grows in loamy sandy soils with an average pH 8.2. It has been recorded at altitudes ranging from 1745 to 2210 meters above sea level.''Primula boveana'' is the dominant plant species in a majority of the sites it grows in. Other plant species which are often seen growing alongside it include: ''Adiantum capillus-veneris'', ''Mentha longifolia'', ''Hypericum sinaicum'' and ''Juncus rigidus''.