CYCLAMEN. 



199 



sweet-scented, an inch or more in length, pale 

 or deep rose, with a purple spot at the base of 

 each petal in autumn. The plant needs pro- 

 tection in winter if not grown under trees or 

 in a cold frame ; in cold districts it is scarcely 

 hardy, but is worth growing in pots. Plentiful 

 in Algeria and Tunis, in Oak woods. 



C.alpinum. — A dwarf plant recently found 

 on the Taurus Mountains of Asia Minor, at 

 a high elevation ; leaves faintly marbled and 

 flowers pink. It may prove to be a geogra- 

 phical form of an old species. 



C. Atkinsi. — A hybrid between C. coum and 

 C. ibericum, raised by the late Mr. Atkins of 

 Painswick. It is only a fine form of ibericum, 

 from which it is barely distinguished by its 

 larger foliage, sometimes shaded with whitish- 

 green above, and by its larger flowers, white, 

 rose, red, lilac, or purple. These hybrid forms 

 are valuable plants for spring-flowering ; be- 

 side their hardiness in open ground they make 

 pretty effects grown in pans in a frame or green- 

 house, giving in winter many bright flowers 

 of long duration. 



C. cilicium. — Mountains of Cilicia and 

 Asia Minor, in forests of Pine trees near Mer- 

 sina. Leaves entire or slightly serrate, purple 

 beneath, and coming with the flowers in au- 

 tumn ; flowers pale rose or pure white, strong- 

 ly scented, petals lanceolate, auricled, blotched 

 with purple at the base ; stalk spirally twisted 

 after flowering ; probably a form of the Euro- 

 pean Cyclamen, quite hardy and requiring the 

 same culture. 



C. coum. — A plant widely spread over 

 South Europe, Asia Minor, Caucasus, Greece, 

 and Syria, and the smallest kind ; not above 

 3 inches in height. Tuber small, globose or 

 flattened, 1 to 2 inches in diameter ; leaves few, 

 nearly round, entire or faintly serrate, dark 

 green above and never marbled, deep purple 

 beneath, showing with the flowers, which are 

 small, deep purple, scentless, coming from De- 

 cember to March. There are several varieties 

 in cultivation, all interesting plants on account 

 of their early flowering, ease of culture, and 

 hardiness, the leaves and flowers, even if frozen, 

 remaining unhurt. 



C. europium. — Tuber rarely flat, irregu- 

 lar, black, emitting roots from all parts, often 

 throwing up a persistent rhizome-like appen- 



dix from its top centre, from which leaves and 

 flowers appear ; leaves reniform, deeply cor- 

 date at the base, firm in texture, usually entire, 

 serrate, never angular, dark green, marbled 

 with white above, purplish beneath, appear- 

 ing with the flowers and remaining nearly all 

 the year. Flowers purplish-red, darker at the 

 base, very sweet, coming from July to Octo- 

 ber. There are several varieties, all hardy, and 

 charming for the rock-garden ; best grown in 

 open limestone soil. Mountain regions of cen- 

 tral Europe, Asia Minor, Greece, and the Cau- 

 casus. 



C. gracum. — A native of the Caucasus, 

 Crete, Morea, the mountains of Greece, and 

 North Persia. Tuber large, reddish, irregular ; 

 leaves small, slightly marbled above, green or 

 faintly tinged with purple beneath, appear- 

 ; ing with or after the flowers, on long stalks, 

 I twisted after flowering : September and Octo- 

 ber. Flowers light or deep lilac (rarely white) , 

 with a purple blotch at the base of each petal, 

 I variable in size and colour and faintly scented. 

 Not now in cultivation, or very scarce. 



C. ibericum. — This is only a finer form of C. 

 coum from the Iberian Caucasus, and a plant 

 so like C. Atkinsi that the two strains frequent- 

 ly do duty for one another. The leaves have a 

 white zone above ; flowers purple, but varying 

 from white to pale or deep rose, scentless ; 

 petals sometimes blotched with purple at the 

 base. It is a good spring-flowering plant, re- 

 quiring the same treatment as C. Atkinsi. 



C. libanoticum. — This plant is another re- 

 cent find in Asia Minor, occurring at a high 

 elevation on Mount Lebanon. The leaves are 

 orbicular, handsomely striped and blotched 

 above, reddish-brown beneath, appearing in 

 autumn and long before the flowers. These 

 show during February and March, and re- 

 semble those of the European Cyclamen in 

 size and form, white shading through light to 

 deep pink in colour, with bright crimson spots 

 at the base of the petals, and strongly scented. 

 It is a hardy kind, of easy culture, effective in 

 autumn for its leaves, and in spring for its 

 early flowers. 



C. neapolitanum. — A native of Italy, Cor- 

 sica, Greece, and the south of France. Tuber 

 flattened and irregular when old, 4 to 8 inches 

 in diameter, emitting roots on all sides ; leaves 



