CYCLAMEX 



THE BULB BOOK 



CYCLAMEN 



nearer to the glass for more light, 

 and keeping the leaf-stalks stout 

 and sturdy. (Fig. 111.) 



When the plants are in blossom, 

 during the winter season, they will 

 continue for weeks if the temperature 

 is not too high say from 45 F. at 

 night to 55 during the day. 



TREATMENT OF OLD PLANTS. If it 

 is desired to grow the same plants on 

 for several seasons, the foliage is 

 gradually allowed to die away after 

 flowering, and the tubers are then 

 rested in the old soil. The pots con- 

 taining them are kept in a cold frame 

 free from frost, or under a north wall 

 covered up to the rims with ashes or 

 coco-nut fibre. During the summer 

 months very little growth is made, 

 and the soil is kept just moist enough 

 to prevent the plants from shrivelling. 

 When new growths begin to appear 

 on the crowns of the old tubers, it is 

 then time to shake the plants out of 

 the old soil and repot them into the 

 compost of loam, leaf-soil, sand and 

 cow-manure, as advised above. It is 

 scarcely necessary to repot the second 

 year, but in that case a top-dressing 

 of fresh soil should be given. Pots 

 a little larger may be used, and all 

 the old soil should be removed. The 

 watering, syringing, ventilating, and 

 liquid manuring are then attended to 

 in the same way as recommended 

 for the plants raised from seeds 

 annually. 



PESTS. The Persian Cyclamen, if 

 grown in too dry an atmosphere, not 

 only does not flourish, but is also 

 subject to attacks of red spider on 

 its foliage. A certain amount of 

 moisture in the surrounding air is 

 therefore the best natural antidote 

 to this pest. Should greenfly or 

 thrips attack the under-surface of 

 the leaves, the plants should be 

 " dipped " head downwards in a solu- 

 tion of soft-soapy water, quassia 



chips, and tobacco juice. One pound 

 of quassia chips boiled for an hour or 

 two will be sufficient for ten gallons 

 of water, to which about one pound of 

 soft soap and a little tobacco juice 

 may be added. The best insecticides, 

 like XL All, abol, etc., may be used 

 for the same purpose. The houses 

 or frames in which the plants are 

 grown may also be vaporised occasion- 

 ally to kill these pests if they have 

 become troublesome. Indeed, this is 

 a better method than dipping, when 

 the glass is in good condition. 



O. libanoticum. A species found 

 growing with C. latifolium and C. 

 ibericum near Mt. Lebanon, at an 

 altitude of 2000 to 3000 ft. Tubers 

 often rough and scaly. Leaves heart- 

 shaped, entire, slightly wavy on the 

 margin, with a silvery white zone 

 above, dark violet beneath. Flowers 

 in April, large, sweetly-scented, bright 

 or pale rose with deep carmine blotch 

 at the base of each petal. 



O. maritimum, from Asia Minor, 

 has brownish-green leaves varying 

 much in form and marking. The 

 small pale rose flowers, with a deep 

 carmine blotch at the base, appear 

 about September. (Garten/I. 1908, 

 791.) 



The plant known as C. pseudo- 

 maritimum differs from C. maritimum 

 proper in having lance-shaped and 

 acuminate calyx lobes instead of 

 ovate rounded ones. 



C. neapolitanurn (C. ficariifolium ; 

 C. hederoifolium ; etc.). A native of 

 Southern Europe, with large flattened, 

 depressed, and irregular tubers. 

 Leaves heart-shaped ovate, 3 to 4 ins. 

 broad, beautifully marbled with 

 white above, purplish beneath. 

 Flowers from August to October, 

 rosy in the type, varying from red to 

 white, slightly fragrant, spotted with 

 purple at the base. There is a white- 

 flowered form called album. (Bot. 



183 



