CYCLAMEN PEESICUM rUKCTATUM. 83 



angularly finely toothed, their ribs and foot-stalks roughish, and brightly variegated 

 with white in the middle. Flowers, reddish purple. There are two varieties ; one 

 with white blossoms, the other with flowers of a deeper purple than the original species. 



Miropteum. Leaves rounded, heart-shaped, toothed with short horny teeth, with 

 a large white interrupted circle round it close to the edge, the under surface of a 

 glossy, reddish purple. Flowers, lilac, red at the mouth ; the petals marked 

 longitudinally with numerous faint lines. Flowers in August. The preceding 

 is often sold for this plant. 



Coum. Leaves round, smooth at the edge, deeply cleft at the base, and without 

 the white circle so conspicuous in the other species. Flowers, lilac and red ; 

 segments of the corolla much shorter than in the preceding species, and less pointed. 



Vernum. Somewhat resembles the preceding species, but the lobes of the leaf 

 overlap at their base. 



Repandum. The leaves resemble in form those of the British Hederwfolium, but 

 are purple on their under surface. Flowers on much shorter foot-stalks than those 

 of the British species, and the corolla of a uniform red tint. Segments of flower, 

 long, but rounded at the points. Flowers in spring. A native of Greece. 



Latifolium. Leaves large, angular, deep green. Flowers red; produced in 

 March. A native of Greece. 



Linewrifolium. Extremely rare. Leaves very narrow, with purple flowers, 

 borne in March. 



Persicum. This species, of which our figure is a seedling variety, is perhaps the 

 best known member of the genus. The leaves are kidney-shaped, slightly toothed , 

 with an irregular circle of white, and less deeply lobed at their base than most of 

 the species. 



There are several varieties of this plant, in addition to that now figured. Odo- 

 ratum, with highly fragrant flowers ; laciniatum, with leaves deeply toothed or cut ; 

 albiftorum, with pure white blossoms; inodoratum, which has nearly scentless 

 flowers, and is therefore less esteemed than the other varieties ; and plenum, with 

 double flowers. 



There are four other species known to us only nominally ; they are, Neapolitanum, 

 said by some writers to be the same as our British Redermfolium ; littorale; Ibericum ; 

 and Africanum, or robmtam. These two last are at present rather expensive plants. 



The spiral peduncle of the Cyclamens was too striking a peculiarity to escape the 

 notice of the older Botanists ; and it no doubt suggested the generic term, which is 

 generally supposed to be derived from kyJclos, a circle, in reference to that circum- 

 stance, though some writers have seen in it an allusion to the form of the tuber. 

 Notwithstanding the acridity of the fleshy tuber of all the plants of this genus, they 

 are favourite food of the porcine tribe ; and thence the English name Sow-bread. 

 and the French Pain depourceau; though we fancy Cyclamen bulbs are a luxury not 

 often enjoyed, now-a-days, by English pigs. 



