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Hybrid Primulas: What Defines a Species?

When is a “species” not a “species”? Look no further than a springtime Cotswolds garden full of wildflowers in the genus Primula. In the world of Taxonomy, the species is the basic unit of classification. According to science textbooks, a species is a group of organisms that can reproduce with each other in nature and produce fertile offspring. A species is reproductively isolated because it cannot create offspring with members of other species. However, the real world of plants is far removed from the rigid definitions in textbooks. Species of the wildflower genus Primula liberally interbreed in nature in the UK yet are considered distinct species. The two species in my garden are Cowslip (P. veris) and Primrose (P. vulgaris). The typical hybrid has a tall stalk like a Cowslip and flowers with large petals like a Primrose. These hybrid plants can interbreed with each other and members of the parent species, demonstrating that they can produce fertile offspring. This hybridization appears to be a natural and ancient aspect of the UK Primula species, with no evidence of hybrids becoming invasive and threatening the extinction of the parent species. The worst consequence is probably confusion for strict taxonomists! Music by Derek and Brandon Fiechter from their fairy music collections. #katia_plantscientist #plants #botany #cottagecore #gardening #biology #plantbiology #biology #biologyeducation #biologyimportantquestion #biologyislife #plantfacts #plantscience #plantas #flowers #primrose #cowslip #wildflowers #britishwildflowers #speciesevolution #species #speciesdiversity #taxonomy #definitions #educational #nature #naturalhistory #flower #yellowflowers #hybrid #hybridisation #hybridization #genetics