CYCLAMEN 



THE BULB BOOK 



CYCLAMEN 



purple-red, darker at the base, 

 fragrant. There are several varieties, 

 such as album, Clusi, littorale, PeaTci- 

 anum, and colchicum ; the last from 

 Asia Minor has large tubers, more 

 regularly serrate leaves, and wider and 

 blunter petals. C. tauricum, having 

 large leaves marbled with silver grey, 

 is probably only another form of this 

 species. (Bot. Reg. t. 1013; ibid. 

 1846, t. 56.) 



C. graecum. A native of S.E. 

 Europe and N. Persia, with large red 

 tubers, often irregular in shape. 

 Leaves usually not developed till 

 after the flowers, roundish, heart- 

 shaped, slightly and irregularly 

 toothed, obscurely marbled above, 

 green, or faintly tinged with purple 

 beneath. Flowers in September and 

 October, light or deep lilac, rarely 

 white, with a purple blotch at the 

 base of each petal, variable in size, 

 and faintly scented. (Rev. Hort. 

 1855, t. 24.) 



C. ibericum. A native of the 

 Caucasus, about 3 ins. high, with 

 roundish tubers. Leaves contempo- 

 rary with the flowers, roundish ovate, 

 blunt, entire, or slightly waved on 

 the margin, distinctly zoned with 

 white. Flowers in February and 

 March, bright red or purple in the 

 type, varying from white to pale and 

 deep rose, scentless, sometimes with 

 a purple blotch at the base of the 

 petals. (Sw. Fl. Gard. t. 9.) 



O. latifolium (C. persicum). The 

 type of this fine species is found 

 growing wild in Greece and Asia 

 Minor, being very common in 

 Palestine. From the gardener's point 

 of view it is by far the finest member 

 of the genus, and for nearly two hun- 

 dred years he has been " improving ;; 

 it under the name of C. persicum. 

 The wild natural species has a round- 

 ish flattened tuber regular in outline. 

 The leaves are ovate, irregularly 



crenate or roundly toothed on the 

 margins, the upper surface being 

 distinctly marbled with white. The 

 scentless flowers appear in March 

 and April, the petals being white 

 with a bright purple blotch at the 

 base. 



In cultivation innumerable varia- 

 tions have been evolved, and plants 

 with larger tubers, more fleshy and 

 luxuriant foliage, and very large 

 flowers are now quite common. 

 Particularly fine forms have special 

 names given to them for the time 

 being, but these are soon superseded 

 by others of a superior type. The 

 prevailing colours are pure white, 

 rose, carmine, pink, crimson, purple, 

 and salmon all very charming. 



CULTURE. Although naturally a 

 perennial, half-hardy and herbaceous 

 in its nature, the Persian Cyclamen 

 is usually raised from seeds annually. 

 It is possible, however, to cultivate 

 the same tubers for several years in 

 succession, when as many as two 

 hundred to three hundred fine 

 blossoms can be secured from the 

 crown of each. For the decoration of 

 the greenhouse or conservatory during 

 the winter and spring months, the 

 Persian Cyclamen is a favourite 

 plant. Not only are its blossoms, 

 with half-twisted reflexed petals, 

 charming in themselves, and last a 

 long time in perfection, but the 

 graceful tufts of beautifully-marbled 

 leaves are highly ornamental. 



At one time from fifteen to eighteen 

 months elapsed from the sowing of 

 the seed until the plants come into 

 blossom. With improved strains it 

 is now possible to obtain plants in 

 flower within twelve months of sowing 

 the seed, and most growers prefer this 

 system to retaining the old tubers from 

 year to year. Of course, those who 

 grow for market have no alternative 

 but to raise plants each year from 



179 



