PLATE XIX. 



i. CYCLAMEN PERSICUM. 



PERSIAN CYCLAMEN. 



This genus contains plants of the low, herbaceous, flowery, pe- 

 rennial tuberous-rooted kind. Snow-Bread. 



It belongs to the class and order Pentandvia Monogijnia, and ranks 

 in the natural order of Precia. 



The characters are: that the calyx is a half-five-cleft perianthiuni, 

 roundish, permanent: divisions ovale: the corolla one-petalled : tube 

 somewhat globose, twice as large as the calyx, small, nodding: bor- 

 der bent upwards, five-parted, very large: divisions lanceolate: neck 

 prominent: the stamina consist of five very small filaments in the 

 tube of the corolla: anthers straight, sharp, in the neck of the co- 

 rolla, converging: the pislillum is a roundish germ: style filiform, 

 straight, longer than the stamens: stigma sharp: the pericarpium is 

 a globose berry, one-celled, gaping five ways at the top, covered wiih 

 a capsular shell : the seeds very many, somewhat ovale, cornered: 

 the receptacle ovate and free. 



The species cultivated are: 1. C. Europitum, Common Cycla- 

 men ; 2. C. Coion, Hound-leaved Cyclamen ; 3. C. Persicum^ Persian 

 Cyclamen; 4. C Iicderafo/iuin, Ivy-leaved Cyclamen. 



The first has a tuberous root, oblately spheroidal, white within, 

 brown without; frou) which j)roceeJs, within the ground, a \ery 

 short stem, and from that the leaves ai;d one-flowered peduncles or 

 scapes: the leaves are kidney-form, roundish, very blunt, slightly 

 crenulate, deep green, and spoiled above; beneath conunonly red 

 purple, smooth, on very long round red petioles: the flowers droop- 

 ing, sweet-scented, and purple. It is a n:ilive of Austria. 



