Background and aims – Primula beesiana Forrest is a perennial alpine species endemic to southwest China, which is narrowly distributed in the eastern Himalaya and the Hengduan Mountains. The aim of this study is to elucidate the reproductive strategies of this heterostylous species in an alpine environment. Methods – Floral scents were assessed and the pollinator assemblage and their foraging behaviour were recorded. In addition, the breeding system was investigated during 2004 and 2005 in populations from the Yulong Shan range, Lijiang County of Yunnan Province, China. Key results – Limonene was the dominant floral scent compound, accounting for 41.2%, followed by α -pinene, diacetone alcohol and myrcene. Higher fruit and seed sets from inter-morph pollination were found compared to self, intra-morph and geitogamous pollination. Significant differences in seed set after self and open pollination were detected between flower morphs in both years. Two common insect species, the bumblebee Bombus lucorum and the butterfly Hypolimnas misippus, were the most important pollinators in the examined population, they visited the inflorescences 3.3 and 2.3 times per hour, respectively. Conclusion – beesiana is an obligate outcrosser, but with some self-compatibility. Seed set of self-pollinated pins was higher than that of thrums in both years, which seems to be related to this partial self-compatibility, which is often ignored in distylous Primula species. Floral scent and petal colour provide signals for pollinator attraction, and visitation rates are high.

ALPINE HABITAT; FLOWER SCENTS; HETEROSTYLY; POLLINATION; PRIMULA BEESIANA; REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS