The Valgaudemar primrose, a newly discovered species in the Écrins Massif

Conference Commercialization, Research, Scientific and Technical Culture
July 20, 2026Villar-d'Arène - Lautaret Garden
Valgaudemar primrose
From 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. By Florian Boucher, associate professor at the Alpine Ecology Laboratory. A new plant has just been described for the first time: the Valgaudemar primrose. It is the first flowering plant strictly endemic to the Écrins. It grows in the cracks and crevices of the rocks.

The history of the Valgaudemar primrose (Primula vallis-gaudemarica) is remarkable and is closely linked to that of the glaciers that shaped the valley. The lecture will trace the history of research on this mysterious primrose, present modern taxonomic approaches, and conclude with a discussion of how this research can help reconstruct glacial periods in the Alps.

Florian Boucher, LECA

Florian Boucher is an associate professor at the Alpine Ecology Laboratory (UGA/USMB/CNRS). For the past 15 years, he has been working to understand the evolution of Alpine flora, and in particular the process by which new species emerge: speciation. 
Published on April 2, 2026
Updated on April 2, 2026