Primula veris

9.2

A small wild plant with bright yellow, scented flowers that grows in meadows and grassy places

noun

Specialized

: Primula veris

Many gardeners cultivate Primula veris for its delicate fragrance and cheerful yellow flowers.

Examples

The meadow was dotted with Primula veris blooming brightly in the early spring.
In Britain, Primula veris is often seen growing wild along hedgerows and grassy banks.
The Primula veris blooms beautifully in the spring.
You can find Primula veris in many European meadows.
In Britain, Primula veris is often seen growing wild along hedgerows and grassy banks.
Many gardeners cultivate Primula veris for its delicate fragrance and cheerful yellow flowers.
The meadow was dotted with Primula veris blooming brightly in the early spring.

Synonyms

cowslip

vsPrimula veris

1 7.3

A wild plant with small bright yellow fragrant flowers in groups

is the specific European species native to meadows with occasional purple flowers

paigle

vsPrimula veris

Archaic

9.9

A small early spring wild flower with yellow or purple blooms

is the particular meadow species rather than a general spring flower name

Surface Forms

Primula veris singular

Primula verises plural

Morphology

primula + veris

The form is a botanical binomial composed of genus (Primula) + specific epithet (veris), so its basic meaning — a particular species of primula — is compositionally derived from the parts. However, the epithet is Latin and not transparent to typical learners, and the common-name sense (cowslip) is not directly recoverable without taxonomic or Latin knowledge, making the relation only partially predictable.

Etymology

Primula veris comes from Latin words: Primula means 'little first' and veris means 'of spring'. These small yellow flowers are often among the first to bloom in early spring, so the name points to their early appearance.