HARDY CYCLAMEN. 



1G1 



order to simplify as far as possible the identification of any given 

 plant. 



The points most deserving of notice, in attempting to identify 

 any of the species, are, I think, the following : — 



1. The tuber, its shape and colour ; and especially its mode of 

 emitting rootlets, whether only from the centre, or from all parts 

 of the base, or from all over the whole tuber. 



Coitm, ibericum, repandum, cilicicum, and grcecum emit 

 roots from the centre of the base only. 



Europceum and persicum from all parts of the base. 



Neapolitanum, africanwn, and cyprinum from all parts 

 of the tuber. 



2. Season of flowering. 



Spring : January to May — Coum, ibericum, repandum, 

 persicum. 



Summer : June to October — Europceum. 

 Autumn: September to December — Neapolitamtm , 

 grcecum, africanum, cilicicum, cyprinum. 



3. The shape and marbling of the leaves. 



4. Whether the leaves appear before or after the flowers. 



5. The existence or not of scent. 



No one of the above points is sufficient by itself to fix 

 identity, but each must be considered with reference to all 

 the others. But 



6. A stoloniferous rhizome, or a short gouty neck proceeding 

 from the centre of the upper surface of the tuber, at once marks 

 out europceum or (?) cilicicum. 



7. Little earlike appendages at the base of each petal or 

 calyx segment, forming a little diadem round the mouth of the 

 flower, at once strictly limit us to grcecum, neapolitanum, 

 africanum, or cyprinum. 



8. Flowers appearing before the leaves limit us to africanum, 

 grcecum, and neapolitanum. (The flowers of neapolitanum will 

 often continue on with the leaves, but always begin before.) 



9. The absence of any whitish marking on the upper surface 

 of the leaf almost certainly indicates Coum, or, very rarely, 

 varieties of neapolitanum. 



