PART II.] 



ALPINE FLOWERS FOR GARDENS 



201 



drained pots of light soil. I generally 

 cover the surface of the soil after sow- 

 ing with a little moss, to ensure 

 uniform dampness, and place them in 

 a sheltered spot out of doors. As 

 soon as the plants begin to appear, 

 which may be in a month or six weeks, 

 the moss should be gradually removed. 

 As soon as the first leaf is half de- 

 veloped, they should be transplanted 

 about an inch apart in seed pans of 

 rich light earth, and encouraged to 

 grow as long as possible, being 

 sheltered in a cold frame, with abund- 

 ance of air at all times. When the 

 leaves have perished the following 

 summer, the tubers may be planted 

 out or potted, according to their 

 strength. 



From the earliest times there ap- 

 pears to have been great difficulty felt 

 by our best botanists in clearly defin- 

 ing the species of Cyclamen, from the 

 great variation in shape and colouring 

 of the leaves both above and below. 

 Too much dependence on these 

 characters has been the cause of much 

 confusion and an undue multiplication 

 of species. Some of the varieties of 

 this genus become so fixed, and repro- 

 duce themselves so truly from seed, 

 as to be regarded as species by some 

 cultivators. The following are some 

 of the more important synonyms 

 cestivum (europceurri) ; anemonoides 

 (europium) ; autumnaleQiedercefoliu'ni); 

 Clusii (europcewii) ; hyemale (count) ; 

 littorale (europceum) ; neapolitanum 

 (hedercefoliwn) ; repandum (vernum) ; 

 vernum of Sweet (coum, var. zonale). 

 Anemonoides, Clusii, and littorale, are 

 southern varieties of C. europcbum, quite 

 distinct from the northern type. 



Cyclamen coum (Round-leaved G.). 

 Tuber round, depressed, smooth, fibres issu- 

 ing from one point on under side only. 

 Leaves of a plain dark green, cordate, 

 slightly indented ; these, with the flowers, 



generally spring from a short stem rising 

 from the centre of the tuber. Corolla 

 short, constricted at the mouth ; reddish 

 purple, darker at the mouth, where there 

 is a white circle ; inside striped red. 

 Flowers from December to March, and 

 is a native of the Greek Archipelago. 

 This, with the others of the same section 

 viz. vernum of Sweet, ibericum, AtJcinsii, 

 and the numerous hybrids from it 

 though hardy, and frequently in bloom 

 in the open ground before the Snowdrop, 

 yet, to preserve the flowers from the effects 

 of unfavourable weather, will be the better 

 for slight protection, or a pit or frame 

 devoted to them, in which to plant them 

 out. 



G. vernum of Sweet is considered by 

 many as only a variety of coum, and for 

 it I would suggest the name of G. coum, 

 var. zonale (from its marked foliage). I 

 was for a long time unwilling to give it 

 up as a distinct species, but now doubt 

 there being sufficient permanent specific 

 distinction to warrant its being retained 

 as such, especially after seeing the many 

 forms and hues the leaves of other species 

 of this genus assume. Though this, as 

 well as G. coum, retains its peculiarities as 

 to markings very correctly from seed, so 

 do some undoubted varieties of other 

 species of Cyclamen. 



Cyclamen Ibericum (Iberian G.). This 

 also belongs to the coum section. There is 

 some obscurity respecting the authority 

 for this species and its native country ; 

 but there are specimens of it in the Kew 

 and Oxford herbariums, marked "ex 

 IberiS,." Leaves very various. Flowers : 

 corolla rather longer than in coum ; mouth 

 constricted, not toothed ; colour various, 

 from deep red-purple to rose, lilac, and 

 white, with intensely dark mouth ; pro- 

 duced more abundantly than by coum. 



C. europseum (European G.). Tuber of 

 medium size and very irregular form, 

 sometimes roundish or depressed and 

 knotted, at other times elongated. The 

 rind is thin, smooth, yellowish, sometimes 

 "scabby." The underground stem or 

 rhizome is often of considerable length 

 and size, sometimes even more than a foot 

 in length. The leaves and flowers origi- 

 nate from stalks or branches, which emerge 



