Low hairy plant. Leaves oval, tapered to the stalk, finely hairy, bright green above, lighter and hairy beneath. Flowers pale yellow, 20 to 40 mm solitary, usually with orange markings in the centre, fragrant.

Garden primroses and 'Polyanthas'

Escaped garden varieties can be very similar, but the native is usually hairier and with leaves gradually tapered to the base.  Flowers are almost always yellow.      

The true native is associated with old woodland and wooded habitats such as hedgebanks away from habitation; only plants found in these situations should be recorded. 

Moist shaded habitats, woods, thickets, grassy banks and ditches.

March to May.

Perennial.

Widespread in Britain, but thought to be declining.

Fairly frequent in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 134 of the 617 tetrads.

In the current Checklist (Jeeves, 2011) it is listed as native, old woodland; locally frequent.