Cyclamen hederifolium

Ordo: Ericales

Familia: Primulaceae
Subfamilia: Myrsinoideae
Genus: Cyclamen
Subgenus: C. subg. Cyclamen
Series: C. ser. Cyclamen
Species: Cyclamen hederifolium
Subspecies: C. h. subsp. crassifolium – C. h. subsp. hederifolium
Name

Cyclamen hederifolium Aiton, Hort. Kew. 1: 196. 1789. (as “C. hederaefolium”)

Lectotype: (designated by Compton in Compton et al. 2008: 22): (icon) LXX, in Regnault, La Botanique 70 (1774).

Synonyms

Homotypic
Cyclamen hederifolium var. genuinum Syme, English botany, ed. 3 7: 140 (1867). nom. inval.
Cyclamen europaeum var. hederifolium (Aiton) Merrem, Handb. Pflanzenk. 2: 82 (1809).

Hybrids

C. × hildebrandii
Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Europe
Regional: Middle Europe
Switzerland.
Regional: Southwestern Europe
Corse, France, Sardegna, Spain (doubtfully native).
Regional: Southeastern Europe
Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Kriti, Sicilia, Turkey-in-Europe (presence doubtful), Yugoslavia (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia).
Continental: Asia-Temperate
Regional: Western Asia
East Aegean Islands, Turkey.

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Aiton, W. 1789. Hortus Kewensis; or, a catalogue of the plants cultivated in the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew. Vol. I. Monandria–Heptandria. XXX+496 pp., tt. 1–6. George Nicol, London. BHL Reference page.

Additional references

Compton, J.A., Culham, A. & Sparkes, B. 2008. Typification of some Cyclamen names. Cyclamen, J. Cyclamen Soc. 32(1): 22–30. Reference page.
Grey-Wilson, C. 2002. Cyclamen: a guide for gardeners, horticulturists and botanists. New edition. London: Batsford, ISBN 0-7134-8760-7 Reference page.
Mathew, B.F. 2013. Genus Cyclamen in Science, Cultivation, Art and Culture. Kew Publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, ISBN 978-1-84246-472-4, p. 129–145 Reference page.

Links

Tela Botanica (ed.) 2000 onwards: Tela Botanica. Le réseau de la botanique francophone. eFlore. Cyclamen hederifolium. Association Tela Botanica, Montpellier, France. Accessed: 2016 May 24.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Cyclamen hederifolium in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service.
The Plant List 2013. Cyclamen hederifolium in The Plant List Version 1.1. Published online. Accessed: 2016 2 3.
Buttler, K.P., Thieme, M. & co-workers: Florenliste von Deutschland – Gefäßpflanzen. Version 7. Frankfurt am Main, August 2015.

Vernacular names
suomi: Murattisyklaami

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 native to woodland, shrubland, and rocky areas in the Mediterranean region from southern France to western Turkey and on Mediterranean islands, and naturalized farther north in Europe and in the Pacific Northwest.

Names

The species name hederifolium comes from the Latin hedera (ivy) and folium (leaf),[1] because of the shape and patterning of the leaves. The older species name, neapolitanum, refers to Naples, where the species grows.
Description
Growth habit of C. hederifolium 'Album'

Cyclamen hederifolium is a tuberous perennial that blooms and sprouts leaves in autumn, grows through the winter, and goes dormant before summer, when the seed pods ripen and open.
Tuber
Dried tubers at market in Remscheid, Germany

The tuber is round-flattened and produces roots from the top and sides, leaving the base bare. In the florist's cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum), roots come from the bottom, leaving the top and sides bare.

The tuber becomes larger with age; older specimens commonly become more than 25 cm (10 in) across. In other species, tubers do not grow as large; Cyclamen coum usually does not reach more than 6.5 cm (2.6 in) across.

Leaves and flowers grow from buds on the exposed upper surface of the tuber
Leaves

The leaves are variably shaped and colored. Depending on the specimen, leaf shape varies from heart-shaped to long and arrow-shaped, usually with 2-3 angled lobes on each side, resembling the juvenile leaves of ivy (Hedera). Leaf color varies from all-green to all-silver, but the most common is a Christmas tree or hastate pattern in silver or pewter and various shades of green.

The petiole and flower stalks of Cyclamen hederifolium grow outwards and then up, forming an "elbow". Plants in narrow pots often have a ring of leaves around the outside of the pot. From Latin, 'hederifolium' translates to Ivy-like leaves. In the closely related Cyclamen africanum, stalks grow up from the tuber without a bend near the base.

Flowers

The flowers bloom from late summer to autumn and have 5 petals, usually pink, purple, or white with a streaky magenta V-shaped marking on the nose, but sometimes pure white with no markings.

The edges of the petals near the nose of the flower are curved outwards into strong auricles. These are not present in some other species, such as Cyclamen persicum. The flowers are occasionally fragrant. The shape of the flower varies from long and thin to short and squat.[2]

Fruit

After fertilization, the flower stem coils tightly, starting at the end, and rests above the tuber. Seeds are amber, held in a round pod, which opens by 5-10 flaps at maturity.

Cultivation
Cyclamen hederifolium naturalized in Belgium

Cyclamen hederifolium is usually listed as the hardiest species of cyclamen. In oceanic climates, it self-seeds abundantly and will crowd out less vigorous species such as Cyclamen coum if the two are planted together. In cold continental climates such as Calgary, Alberta, where Cyclamen purpurascens grows well, it may not survive.[3] DavesGarden.com lists it as hardy to zone 5a (−20 °F or −29 °C), although hardiness is dependent on presence of snow cover.

This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit[4] (confirmed 2017).[5]
Subdivisions
Varieties and forms
pink throat of white form

There are two varieties or subspecies (hederifolium and confusum), and var. hederifolium has two named forms, differentiated by leaf and flower characteristics.

Cyclamen hederifolium var. hederifolium — leaves with well defined markings
C. hederifolium var. hederifolium forma hederifolium — pink or purple flowers with darker markings at the base of the petals
C. hederifolium var. hederifolium forma albiflorum — white flowers, sometimes with pale pink throat — this form has also won the RHS AGM [6]
Cyclamen hederifolium var. confusum — fleshier leaves with poorly defined markings

The variety Cyclamen hederifolium var. poli, with long sagittate (arrowhead-shaped) leaves, is listed by the Pacific Bulb Society.

In chromosome count, var. confusum is tetraploid, while var. hederifolium is diploid.

Recently var. confusum has been elevated to the level of species as Cyclamen confusum,[7] although this is not reflected on GRIN.[8]
Cultivars

There are a number of cultivated varieties of Cyclamen hederifolium.

Cyclamen hederifolium 'Amaze me', a cultivar with dark-pink flowers, is early blooming

Cyclamen hederifolium 'Ruby Glow' has particularly deep all-magenta flowers.[9]

Cyclamen hederifolium 'Stargazer' has upward-facing flowers.[10]
References
Notes

hedera, folium. Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short. A Latin Dictionary on Perseus Project.
post 434. Cyclamen 2009. Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum.
post 20. Cyclamen kuznetzovii. Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum.
"Cyclamen hederifolium". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
"AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 22. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
"Cyclamen hederifolium var. hederifolium f. albiflorum". RHS. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
Spring Flower Finding Trip 2010 (itinerary). Flowers of Crete.
"Cyclamen hederifolium". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 2010-11-24.
photos from AGS Loughborough Autumn show. Alpines for the Enthusiast (blog).

Cyclamen hederifolium 'Stargazer'. GAP photos.

Sources

Cyclamen: a guide for gardeners, horticulturists, and botanists by C. Grey-Wilson (Google Books)