CYCLAMEN CRETICUM

Family and Genus:- See- PRIMULACEAE

Common Names:- Cretan sowbread

Homotypic Synonyms:- Cyclamen creticum

Meaning:- Cyclemen (Gr) Circle a name used by the Greek philosopher

Theophrastus for the coiled fruiting stalk.

Creticum (L) Cretan, from Crete.

General description:- Plants with a tuber at their roots and long-petioled leaves.

Numerous solitary flowers on leafless stems appearing direct from the base.

Tuber:-

1) 1·5-3 cm, depressed-globose, pubescent, rooting from the base.

Leaves:-

1) 3·5-9(-12) x 3-7(-11) cm, well developed before anthesis; blade usually 4-8 cm,

broadly ovate, deeply cordate at the base, coarsely toothed or somewhat

angular, dark green with various silvery marblings above, reddish-purple beneath.

2) Pedicels, slender, usually 10-15 cm.

Flowers:-

1) Solitary on hairless pedicels.

2) Corolla, 1.5-2.5 cm without auricles, white or pale rose-pink;

a) lobes, 16-25 mm. pink with a purple blotch at the base.

3) Calyx, infundibuliform.

4) Style, included in the corolla tube or very shortly exserted.

5) Fruiting pedicel, coiling from the apex.

Fruit:-

1) Stalk, coiling from the top.

Key features:-

1) Corolla-lobes. 16-25 mm.

2) Leaf-margins, rather acutely dentate or sometimes lobed, rarely undulate or

subentire.

Habitat:- In semi-shade in scrub and open woodland, often seasonally damp places

in gorges, by brooks or N-facing road embankments. 0-1350 m.

Distribution:- Endemic to Crete and Karpathos. Widespread and common on

Crete.

Flowering time:- Mar-May.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton