''Cyclamen graecum'', the Greek cyclamen, is a

perennial plant A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

in the

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

family

Primulaceae The Primulaceae , commonly known as the primrose family (but not related to the Onagraceae, evening primrose family), are a family (biology), family of Herbaceous plant, herbaceous and woody flowering plants including some favourite garden plants ...

that grows from a

tuber Tubers are a type of enlarged structure used as storage organs for nutrients in some plants. They are used for the plant's perennation (survival of the winter or dry months), to provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growing ...

. It is native to southern

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

, southern

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

and neighboring islands and is prized for its variable leaf forms, which include some of the most striking of any

cyclamen ''Cyclamen'' ( or ) is a genus of 23 species of perennial flowering plants in the family Primulaceae. ''Cyclamen'' species are native to Europe and the Mediterranean Basin east to the Caucasus and Iran, with one species in Somalia. They grow ...

Distribution

''Cyclamen graecum'' is native to a wide variety of areas up to

elevation The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § Vert ...

in southern mainland

, the

Peloponnese The Peloponnese (), Peloponnesus (; el, Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnēsos,(), or Morea is a peninsula and geographic regions of Greece, geographic region in southern Greece. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmu ...

, Aegean Islands,

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...

, the southern coast of

, and northern

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...

Description

The

is corky, with a thick, strong, fleshy anchor, and roots sprouting from the center of the bottom. The leaves are heart-shaped and toothed. The flowers bloom in autumn, with five petals which are white or pink with a darker blotch at the nose. They are often fragrant. The bases of the petals are curled outwards into auricles. After

pollination Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by wind. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, birds ...

, the flower stem coils in both directions, starting from the center, not from the top as in ''

Cyclamen hederifolium ''Cyclamen hederifolium'', the ivy-leaved cyclamen or sowbread, is a species of flowering plant in the family Primulaceae. This widespread cyclamen species is widely cultivated and among the most hardy and vigorous in oceanic climates. It is na ...

''.

Subdivisions

Subspecies

''Cyclamen graecum'' has three subspecies, distinguished by flower characteristics: *''Cyclamen graecum'' subsp. ''graecum'' — pink flowers with a darker blotch at the nose (

, Aegean islands,

) **''Cyclamen graecum'' subsp. ''graecum'' f. ''album'' — all-white flowers (

, Rhodopou Peninsula of Crete) *''Cyclamen graecum'' subsp. ''anatolicum'' Ietsw. — more slender flowers with a smaller blotch and slight auricles (southern

Rhodes Rhodes (; el, Ρόδος , translit=Ródos ) is the largest and the historical capital of the Dodecanese islands of Greece. Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the So ...

, northern

). Now elevated to a separate species, '' Cyclamen maritimum''. *''Cyclamen graecum'' subsp. ''mindleri'' Hildebr. (or ''candicum'' Ietsw.) white or pale pink flowers with more pronounced auricles (western Crete)

References

External links

Cyclamen Society

— Scottish Rock Garden Club
Pacific Bulb Societyphotos
— Flickr search
IPNI Listing
— International Bulb Society (photo of tuber)
Kew Plant List
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2547361 graecum Flora of Greece Flora of Turkey