''Cyclamen cyprium'' (Cyprus cyclamen) is a
perennial
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 wid ...
growing 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 growin ...
,
native
Native may refer to:
People
* Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth
* Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory
** Native Americans (disambiguation)
In arts and entert ...
to
woodland
A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the ''plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (se ...
at
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 § Ver ...
in the mountains of
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 ge ...
. It is the
national flower.
''
Cyclamen persicum'' and ''
Cyclamen graecum
''Cyclamen graecum'', the Greek cyclamen, is a perennial plant in the flowering plant family Primulaceae that grows from a tuber. It is native to southern Greece, southern Turkey and neighboring islands and is prized for its variable leaf forms, ...
'' are also found on Cyprus, but are not
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
.
Description
Leaves are heart-shaped with coarsely toothed edges, green
variegated
Variegation is the appearance of differently coloured zones in the leaves and sometimes the stems and fruit of plants. Species with variegated individuals are sometimes found in the understory of tropical rainforests, and this habitat is the s ...
with blotches of silver above and purple beneath.
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
s bloom in
autumn to
winter
Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultur ...
, and have 5 upswept petals, white to pale pink with a magenta blotch near the nose. The bases of the petals curve outwards into
auricles.
After pollination, flower
stems curl, and
seed
A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...
s are borne in round
pods,
opening by 5 flaps when mature.
''Cyclamen'' ×''wellensiekii''
Iets. is a hybrid obtained in 1969 in the Netherlands between this species and ''
Cyclamen libanoticum'' – another species of sub-genus ''Gyrophoebe''. This fertile hybrid has pink flowers from November until March.
Gallery
Image:Cyclamen cyprium (leaves).jpg, leaves
References
External links
Cyclamen cypriumPacific Bulb SocietyMark Griffiths Cyclamen species cultivation and photos site - C.cypriumMark Griffiths Cyclamen species cultivation and photos site - C.x wellensiekii
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2234185
cyprium
Cyprus Mediterranean forests
Endemic flora of Cyprus
National symbols of Cyprus