Cyclamen parviflorum

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Ordo: Ericales

Familia: Primulaceae
Subfamilia: Myrsinoideae
Genus: Cyclamen
Subgenus: C. subg. Gyrophoebe
Series: C. ser. Pubipedia
Species: Cyclamen parviflorum
Subspecies: C. p. subsp. parviflorum – C. p. subsp. subalpinum
Name

Cyclamen parviflorum Pobed., Bot. Mater. Gerb. Bot. Inst. Komarova Akad. Nauk S.S.S.R. 9: 250 (1946).

Type: Turkey A8?, in ditione Artvin, ad cacumen montis Kortset-Dagh (2700 m), 1914, Turkevicz (Holotype: LE, photo K).

Synonyms

Homotypic
Cyclamen coum subsp. parviflorum (Pobed.) Ietsw., J. Cyclamen Soc. 29: 20 (2005).
Misapplied names
Cyclamen vernum f. alpinum auct. non (Sprenger) O.Schwarz, Gartenflora N.F. 1: 20 (1938).

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Asia-Temperate
Regional: Western Asia
Turkey.

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

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. 64–70 Reference page.

Links

The Plant List 2013. Cyclamen parviflorum in The Plant List Version 1.1. Published online. Accessed: 2016 May 22.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Cyclamen parviflorum in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service.

Cyclamen parviflorum, the small-flowered cyclamen is a flowering perennial plant growing from a tuber, native to high elevations in the Pontic Mountains of northern Turkey. It is the smallest cyclamen species and the only one native to alpine tundra.

Cyclamen coum has similar flowers, but grows mostly at lower elevations. Where the two species are found together, they do not seem to hybridize.

The Latin specific epithet parviflorum means "with small flowers".[1]

Distribution

Cyclamen parviflorum is native to alpine tundra and subalpine woodland and meadow at 1,200–2,400 m (3,900–7,900 ft) above sea level in the eastern part of the Pontic Mountains of northern Turkey. In the lower-elevation part of its range, it inhabits grassy slopes, rocky places, and oriental spruce forests, sometimes beneath Rhododendron luteum. At higher elevations, it grows among Rhododendron and Vaccinium shrubs or in alpine meadow; here snow may be as much as 1 metre (3.3 ft) deep.
Description

The tuber is round or round-flattened, usually less than 3 centimetres (1.2 in) across, but occasionally up to 4 centimetres (1.6 in), with roots from the center of the bottom like Cyclamen coum. In the wild, the tuber sits 5–20 centimetres (2–8 in) underground.

The leaves are wider than long. The leaf color is dark green above and deep red below. Unlike other species, such as the similar Cyclamen coum, Cyclamen parviflorum is never variegated with silver.

The flowers are fragrant and have five petals, pink to purple with a dark purple marking on the nose, short and rounded as in Cyclamen coum. They lack the white or pink "eye" below the dark marking that is present in Cyclamen coum.
Varieties
At Zigana Pass, Turkey

Cyclamen parviflorum has two varieties.

Cyclamen parviflorum var. parviflorum has petals bent upwards (4–8 mm, 1⁄8-5⁄16 inch long). It inhabits open habitats at higher elevations.

Cyclamen parviflorum var. subalpinum has petals bent outwards, not up (8–11 mm, 5⁄16-1⁄2 inch long), and twisted like the blades of a propeller, similar to Cyclamen alpinum. It inhabits densely shaded areas in lower-elevation woodland.
References

Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for Gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. ISBN 184533731X.