Introduction

The genus Primula L. represents the largest genus within the family Primulaceae, comprising approximately 556 species worldwide (POWO 2026). It is considered a typical example of an alpine plant genus and an excellent ornamental group and is also recognized as one of the representative taxa of young, rapidly radiating lineages among angiosperms. Species of the genus are mainly distributed in temperate and alpine regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with only a few species occurring in the mountains of Africa (Ethiopia), tropical Asia (Java and Sumatra), and South America (Hu 1990, 1994; Hu and Kelso 1996). China harbors 358 species of Primula (Liu 2026), which are classified into 24 sections. Southwest China, particularly the Eastern Himalayas and the Hengduan Mountains region, serves as the modern center of distribution and diversity for this genus, with the majority of species concentrated in western Sichuan, southeastern Xizang, and northwestern Yunnan.

Primula sect. Aleuritia represents a substantial group within the genus Primula. Across its broad distribution range, species of this section occur throughout nearly the entire range of the genus, extending from the circumpolar region to the major mountain systems of Europe, North America, and Asia (Hu 1990, 1994; Hu and Kelso 1996). Notably, this is the only section within Primula that includes representative species in South America (Hu 1994; Basak et al. 2014). According to the Flora Republicae Popularis Sinicae, 46 species of sect. Aleuritia are distributed in China (Hu 1990). Since the publication of the Flora Republicae Popularis Sinicae, extensive field investigations conducted over the past three decades have led to the description of eight additional species (Basak and Maiti 2001; Wu et al. 2013; Xu et al. 2015, 2017, 2019; Ju et al. 2023; Wu et al. 2023a; Yang et al. 2024). To date, the number of species of sect. Aleuritia recorded in China has reached 55.

Yunnan is one of the biodiversity hotspots in China, characterized by diverse habitats ranging from tropical to alpine tundra zones. It harbors 176 species of the genus Primula (Yang et al. 2023a). With intensified field surveys in recent years, six new species have been discovered (Wu et al. 2023a, 2023b; Yang et al. 2023b, 2023c; Ru et al. 2026). Currently, Yunnan has a total of 182 species of Primula.

In April 2021, during a botanical survey of the Dawei Mountains in Yunnan Province, China, a morphologically distinctive population of Primula was encountered. The plants possess obovate to spatulate leaves covered with yellow farina and a small habit and lack scales at the base of the leaf rosette; the entire plant is glabrous. These characteristics indicate its placement within P. sect. Aleuritia. Nevertheless, several features distinguish it from all known species of the section, including a cup-shaped calyx with 7–8 lobes divided almost to the base, a campanulate corolla with 7–8 lobes, uniform floral morphology, and stamens and a style distinctly exserted far beyond the mouth of the corolla tube. In subsequent years (2022–2026), this area was continuously surveyed during the flowering period, and only one additional population was located. The floral traits of these primroses proved to be stable. Following a thorough examination of the relevant literature and herbarium specimens, this plant was concluded to represent a species new to science within P. sect. Aleuritia. Accordingly, it is described and illustrated here, and an assessment of its conservation status is provided.