Cyclamen mirabile

Cyclamen mirabile
Cyclamen mirabile
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Myrsinaceae
Genus: Cyclamen
Subgenus: Gyrophoebe
Series: Cilicium
Binomial name
Cyclamen mirabile
Hildebr.

Cyclamen mirabile is a perennial growing from a tuber, native to Turkish pine woodland and maquis in southwestern Turkey. It belongs to the Cyclamen cilicium group of the Cyclamen genus (subgenus Gyrophoebe, series Cilicium).

Contents

Description

The tuber is round-flattened and roots irregularly from the lower surface.

The leaves are broad heart-shaped, and as wide or wider than long. Cyclamen intaminatum is wider than long, but Cyclamen cilicium is longer than wide.

The leaf edge is shallowly toothed; in the closely related Cyclamen cilicium and Cyclamen intaminatum, the edge is wavy or smooth.

Leaf color is dark green with a pattern in lighter green or silver. The silver zone often starts out pink-tinged in young leaves.

The flowers are often fragrant. Flower color is white to deep pink, often with a magenta blotch at the base of each petal. Cyclamen cilicium also has a blotch, but Cyclamen intaminatum does not.

The petal edges are toothed, particularly near the tip. Cyclamen intaminatum has slight petal toothing as well, but Cyclamen cilicium usually has none.

Subdivisions

Forms

Cyclamen mirabile has two naturally occurring forms, distinguished by flower color.

  • Cyclamen mirabile f. mirabile — pale to deep pink flowers with dark blotches
  • Cyclamen mirabile f. niveum — all-white flowers

Cultivars

There are several cultivars of Cyclamen mirabile.

Cyclamen mirabile 'Tilebarn Anne' has silvery leaves with etched veins that are tinged with pink when young, and pink flowers.

Cyclamen mirabile 'Tilebarn Jan' (named after Jan Ietswaart of the Netherlands, who sent seed to Peter Moore at Tilebarn Nursery) has been selected for white flowers; some seedlings are pure white, while others have a pale pink nose.

Cyclamen mirabile 'Tilebarn Nicholas' has leaves with a dark green Christmas tree–shaped center surrounded by a broad band of silver. The silver band is deep pink in young leaves.

  • Cyclamen mirabile

  • Cyclamen mirabile 'Tilebarn Jan'

  • Cyclamen mirabile 'Tilebarn Nicholas'

References

  • Cyclamen: a guide for gardeners, horticulturists, and botanists. C. Grey-Wilson. 1997.

External links

Stub icon This Myrsinaceae article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.