96 Cyclamen. 



The species mostly grown, and those represented in our figure, are C. 

 Persicum and its varieties. It is winter-blooming, and flowers and leaves 

 are seen together ; many kinds blooming before the leaves appear, which 

 detracts from the beauty of the plant. 



The root is a flattish tuber, with a black, rough, wrinkled skin, studded 

 all over with minute knobs : from the top of this proceed the leaves and 

 flowers in a close tuft, or in larger bulbs in several bunches ; and from the 

 sides and base, a few roots. 



The tubers should be planted in sandy loam in October, placed in a 

 moderately warm position, and slightly watered. When they begin to grow, 

 give plenty of sun, light, and free air, keeping them near the glass. The 

 pots used should be rather small, — about twice the diameter of the 

 tubers, — and must be well drained. The plants should be kept moist, but 

 not wet, and will bloom from February to May. When the bloom has 

 faded, the plants should be gradually dried off, and allowed to rest until the 

 season of repotting. A good way, when the leaves have faded, is to bury 

 the pots, with the tubers, two feet or more deep in the garden, taking them 

 up and repotting when the season arrives. 



Seed ripens freely, and should be sown in shallow pans as soon as ripe. 

 It vegetates freely, and seedlings may be forced to bloom in a year : with 

 ordinary treatment, they bloom the third year. A curious provision of 

 Nature is shown in this plant : the flower-stalk, as soon as the bloom is 

 past, curls into graceful spiral coils, and buries the seed in the earth ; there 

 it ripens, and then comes forth. 



The original colors of C. Persicum are white, tipped with purplish crim- 

 son and pure white ; but the skill of the florist now gives us white, purple, 

 pink, and all the varying shades. 



C. Europcsiim has pink or reddish flowers, on rather short foot-stalks, 

 which are produced in spring before the flowers, and is hardy even as far 

 north as Boston. C. coiun resembles the last species in flower. 



There are other species ; but they are rather of interest to the botanist 

 than the florist. 



We had almost forgotten to say that the foliage of many of the plants 

 is exquisitely marbled, and the leaves are no less attractive than the flowers. 



Glen Ridge, July, 1867. ■^- '^^ "^'J ./''''• 



