HARDY BULBS AND TUBERS. 
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Cyclamen (Sowbread). — Very pretty and interesting 
dwarf alpine plants with tuberous roots and membranes, of the 
Primrose order (Primulaceae). Some of the species flower in 
autumn and others in winter and spring. They are suitable 
for rockery culture, also for naturalising in masses in grass 
under the shade of trees. The following species, hybrids and 
varieties are exceedingly pretty and many of them fragrant 
also : C. africanum is a native of Algiers, grows 6 to 8 in. high, 
has large heart-shaped leaves, and bears rose-coloured fragrant 
flowers in October and November. It is the largest of the 
hardy species, and requires a little protection in winter, such 
as a covering of dry leaves. C. cilicicum is a native of the 
mountains of Asia Minor, has prettily marbled small leaves, 
grows 4in. high, and bears white purple-centred, fragrant 
flowers in autumn. C. Coum is also a native of Asia Minor, 
Greece and Turkey, grows only 3in. high, has roundish green 
leaves which are purple on the undersides, and bears purple 
flowers from December to March. There are several varieties 
of it, viz., album, white; lilacinum, lilac; roseum, rose; and 
rubrum, crimson. C. europaeum is a native of the mountains 
of C. and S. Europe, grows 4in. high, has leaves marbled 
above with white, and purple beneath ; flowers, crimson and 
fragrant, June to October. C. ibericum, a native of the Cau- 
casian mountains, has round leaves margined with white, and 
red flowers borne in February and March. C. Atkinsoni is a 
hybrid between C. Coum and C. ibericum. It has leaves 
marbled with white and bears flowers of shades of white, rose, 
lilac and purple, in spring. Other hybrids or varieties of C. 
ibericum are, lilacinum, rosy-lilac, crimson centre ; roseum, 
rose ; rubrum, deep crimson ; and Whittallii, rose and white. 
C. latifolium is a new species from Asia Minor, with marbled 
silvery foliage and purple flowers borne in autumn. C. libano- 
ticum comes from Mount Lebanon, has its leaves prettily 
marked with silvery zones, and bears sweet-scented, pale rose, 
white, crimson flowers from January to March. C. neapoli- 
tanum (Syn. C. hederaefolium), a native of S. Europe, has rosy- 
pink fragrant flowers borne in early autumn, and handsome 
silver marbled foliage. Its variety album has white flowers. 
Last of all is C. repandum (Syn. C. hederaefolium), a crimson- 
flowered, fragrant species from S. Europe. This flowers from 
March to May. There is a pure white variety named album. 
The foregoing hardy kinds may be grown on rockeries, grassy 
banks, in turf under the shade of trees, or in woodland borders. 
They do best in peat, leaf-mould and sandy loam, with plenty 
of old mortar added to it if possible. When grown on a rockery 
a north or north-west aspect is best. The ideal conditions 
for the culture of these pretty plants are a rich soil, plenty of 
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