Cortusa matthioli subsp. pekinensis

The Cortusa matthioli subsp. pekinensis, renamed Primula matthioli subsp. pekinensis, is a small woodland perennial similar to primroses. It offers graceful flowering in late spring, with purplish-pink flowers in the form of suspended skirts that bloom in small clusters on a downy stem. The plant forms rosettes of hairy, rounded, heavily lobed and dissected leaves. It thrives in shady and moist places, in rockeries or under trees.

The Primula matthioli subsp. pekinensis belongs to the Primrose family. It is a subspecies probably discovered in the Beijing region, as its name suggests. The type species, Primula matthioli, is found in central Europe, Arctic Russia, and boreal Asia. The pekinensis subspecies differs from it by having more deeply lobed leaves, with each lobe being more divided. The plant has a fibrous root, it is covered with small hairs and reaches about 30-35 cm (12-14in) in height when flowering. Its leaves emerge directly from the base in spring. They are heart-shaped, heavily lobed and toothed, carried by a long petiole. Their colour is a bright light green. Flowering occurs in June, more or less early depending on the climate (in June-July in the mountains). It takes the form of bare, downy, reddish spikes that grow taller than the leaves. The flowers are grouped in umbels of 4 to 10, hanging on slender pedicels of unequal length. Each flower has a green calyx surrounding a bell-shaped corolla with a short wide tube and 5 entire lobes. Their colour ranges from magenta pink to purple. The fruit is an oval-shaped capsule that opens at maturity to release numerous small seeds.

This small and rare perennial will delight collectors of alpine species and enthusiasts of fresh woodland plants. Quite hardy, the Primula matthioli subsp. pekinensis requires fairly specific growing conditions that can sometimes be difficult to provide. It prefers mountainous climates, soil and air humidity, and rich humus and clay soils that never completely dry out, without being waterlogged. To accompany it in a damp rockery, choose liverworts, auricula primroses, tiarellas, amongst others.