Notes and Comments

Few papers report precise data about insect behaviour on flowers of Primula species (Primulaceae) (Campbell et al., 1986; Ishihama and Washitani, 2007). Results of hand- and open-pollination experiments (Washitani et al., 1994; Fisogni et al., 2011) maintain the common opinion that Primula species are pollinator limited. Primulas flower mostly at the end of the winter, often on mountain areas immediately after the snow melts, and many species are suffering declines, patchy distributions, and reduced seed production. Because little is known about pollination of this genus, and because it contains many rare and endemic species that show limited geographical distributions, any additional information may help to understand reproductive patterns and promote conservation actions.