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Cyclamen ( or ) cyclamen (noun). Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Oxford University Press. 2014. is a genus of 23 species of perennial plant in the family Primulaceae. In English, it is known by the common names sowbread or swinebread. Cyclamen species are native plant to Europe and the Mediterranean Basin east to the Caucasus and Iran, with one species in Somalia. They grow from and are valued for their with upswept and variably patterned leaf.
It was traditionally classified in the family Primulaceae, was reclassified in the family Myrsinaceae in 2000 and finally, in 2009 with the introduction of the APG III system, was returned to the subfamily Myrsinoideae within the family Primulaceae.
Pliny the Elder describes how it was called in antiquity by Roman country men: tūber terrae, literally "earth truffle" or also amulētum "amulet", because it was believed that evil spells had no effect where it grew.
In many languages cyclamen species are colloquially called by a name like the English sowbread or swinebread (because they are said to be eaten by pigs), based on Medieval Latin panis porcinus: Saubrot in German language, pain de pourceau in French language, pan porcino in Italian language and varkensbrood in Dutch language.
The shape of the tuber may be near spherical, as in Cyclamen coum, or flattened, as in Cyclamen hederifolium. In some older specimens of Cyclamen purpurascens and Cyclamen rohlfsianum growing points on the tuber become separated by shoulders of tissue and the tuber becomes misshapen. In most other species the tuber is round in old age.
Leaves and flowers sprout from growing points on the top of the tuber. Growing points that have lengthened and become like woody plant stem are known as floral trunks.
The size of the tuber varies depending on species. In Cyclamen hederifolium older tubers commonly reach across, but in Cyclamen parviflorum tubers do not grow larger than across.
The shape of the leaves varies among the species and even among different specimens of the same species. Cyclamen hederifolium and Cyclamen repandum usually have leaves shaped like ivy, with angles and lobes, Cyclamen coum has nearly round leaves and Cyclamen persicum has heart-shaped leaves with a pointed tip. The leaf margin may be smooth, as in Cyclamen coum subsp. coum, or finely toothed, as in Cyclamen graecum.
The color of the upper side of leaves is variable, even within a species. Most species have leaves variegated in several shades of green and silver, either in an irregular pattern of blotches or an arrowhead or Christmas-tree shape. In cultivation cyclamen, especially species other than Cyclamen persicum, are selected as often for striking or unusual leaf patterns as for their flowers.
The lower side of leaves is often shiny and its color varies from plain green to rich red or purple.
Most cyclamen species originate from the Mediterranean, where summers are hot and dry and winters are cool and wet, and are summer-dormancy: their leaves sprout in the autumn, remain through the winter and wither the next spring. Cyclamen purpurascens and Cyclamen colchicum, however, originate from cooler regions in mountains and their leaves remain through the summer and wither only after the next year's leaves have developed.
Each flower is on a stem coming from a growing point on the tuber. In all species the stem is normally bent 150-180° at the tip so that the nose of the flower faces downwards. Cyclamen hederifolium 'Stargazer' is an exception: its nose faces upwards. Flowers have 5 , bent outwards or up, sometimes twisted, and connected at the base into a cup, and five behind the cup.
Petal shape varies depending on species and sometimes within the same species. Cyclamen repandum has petals much longer than wide, Cyclamen coum has stubby, almost round petals, and Cyclamen hederifolium usually has petals with proportions between the two.
Petal color may be white, pink or purple, often with darker color on the nose. Many species have a pink form and a white form but a few have only one color, such as Cyclamen balearicum, which is always white.
The dark color on the flower nose varies in shape: Cyclamen persicum has a smooth band, Cyclamen hederifolium has a streaky V and Cyclamen coum has an M-shaped splotch with two white or pink ‘eyes’ beneath.
In some species, such as Cyclamen hederifolium, the petal edges at the nose are curved outwards into auricles (Latin for ‘little ears’). Most species, such as Cyclamen persicum, have no auricles.
In most species the gynoecium protrudes 1–3 mm out of the nose of the flower but the are inside the flower. In Cyclamen rohlfsianum, however, the cone of anthers sticks out prominently, about beyond the rim of the corolla, similar to shooting-stars ( Primula sect. Dodecatheon).
The fruit is a round pod, which opens by several flaps or teeth at maturity and contains numerous sticky , brown at maturity. Natural seed dispersal is by (myrmecochory), which eat the sticky covering and then discard the seeds.
A study published in 2004 produced a similar phylogeny in a combined analysis of molecular and morphological data:
A comparison of the groups produced in the two studies shows them to be very similar (see the table below). Nevertheless, the authors of the 2004 study declined to produce a subgeneric classification, concluding that more work was needed to align the phylogeny and classification of Cyclamen, stating that "the publication of formal classifications before adequate data can provide a clear and consistent pattern of information, leads to nomenclatural instability".
In many areas within the native range cyclamen populations have been severely depleted by collection from the wild, often illegally, for the horticultural trade; some species are now endangered as a result. However in a few areas plant-conservation charities have educated local people to control the harvest carefully at a sustainable level, including sowing seed for future crops, both sustaining the wild populations and producing a reliable long-term income. Many cyclamen are also propagated in nurseries without harm to the wild plants.
Cyclamens were used as love-charms, aphrodisiacs, and intoxicant and a small amount would be put in cakes or a cup of wine.
The Cyclamen Society is the International Cultivar Registration Authority for Cyclamen excluding C. persicum, and currently recognises over 100 registered cultivars.
Cyclamen flowers have a subtle scent that is reminiscent of both lily of the valley and rose. The cyclamen note is used in perfumery to give clean, watercolor-like scent. Example of a perfume with a leading cyclamen note is Masaki Shiro by the Japanese brand Masaki Matsushima.
The most frost-hardy species, such as C. purpurascens, C. hederifolium, C. coum and C. cilicium, tolerate temperatures down to . C. hederifolium has even survived prolonged freezing and temperatures down to . C. repandum survives temperatures down to but not prolonged freezing below this temperature. C. graecum tolerates frost as low as for a few hours. Others, such as C. africanum, C. persicum and C. rohlfsianum, tolerate only mild and brief frost.
+ Comparison of groups within Cyclamen Subgenus Psilanthum
Clade A
Subgenus Cyclamen
Clade B
Subgenus Eucosme
Clade C
Subgenus Gyrophoebe
Clade D
Species
, Plants of the World Online accepted the following species:
Ecology
Cyclamen species are eaten by the larva of the gothic moth.
Conservation
Cyclamen diversity in the Mediterranean has been studied extensively to understand how the species remain distinct (Debussche et al., 2000, 2002, 2003) and how they have reacted to the dramatic climate changes in the region. Certain climate-change models suggest many species could become extinct in their current range within the next 50 years.
Culture
In the sixteenth century, women in their early stages of pregnancy avoided cyclamens in fear of a miscarriage because they were considered to strongly induce childbirth.
Cultivation and uses
Cyclamen are commonly grown for their flowers, both outdoors and indoors in pots. Several species, particularly Cyclamen hederifolium, are hardy and can be grown outdoors in mild climates such as northwest Europe and the Pacific Northwest of North America.
Hardiness
Cyclamen species range from frost-hardy to frost-tender.
Florists’ cyclamen
The cyclamen commonly sold by is Cyclamen persicum, which is frost-tender. Selected cyclamen have white, bright pink, red or purple flowers. While flowering, florists' cyclamen should be kept below , with the night-time temperatures preferably . Temperatures above may induce the plant to become dormant.
Gallery
Cyclamen bloom in different seasons, depending on the species.
Notes
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