Cyclamen
parviflorum flowering on Zigana Geç, south of Trabzon, north-east
Turkey. |
Distribution & Habitat
Cyclamen parviflorum grows as an alpine plant and in
coniferous mountain woodlands in the Dogu Karadeniz Dag, or Pontus Mountains of
Northeast Turkey, between the Zigana Pass and Ikizdere. When growing in the
alpine turf of the Zigana Pass it often grows beneath Rhododendron caucasicum
or in snow-melt. In woodland at slightly lower altitudes it grows in
Abies, Picea and Pinus woodland, in leaf litter and in
deep shade. Altitude 1200-2400m (3,950-7,900 ft) |
Description
Cyclamen parviflorum is the least attractive of all the species,
and also the most difficult in cultivation. The leaves are suborbicular and
comparatively small, only 15-41mm (0.6-1.6 inches) long and 15-45mm (0.6-1.8
inches) wide. They are a dull, matt, dark green in colour and have no markings.
The flowers appear with the mature leaves, on short pedicels, and are pale
pink, to pale purple or pink, with a deep purplish blotch at the base of each
petal. The petals are up to 14mm (0.6 inches) long, but more usually 4-8mm
(0.15- 0.32 inches) long and 4-7.5mm (0.15-0.3 inches) wide. Generally, there
is very little variation in C. parviflorum. Chromosome count: 2n=30.
Grey-Wilson (1997) distinguishes two varieties based on the stature of
the plant, which he also relates to altitude:
- C. parviflorum var. parviflorum: Very small flowers
with strongly reflexed petal lobes only 4-8mm (0.16 - 0.31 inches) long. At
higher altitudes (up to 2400m/7900ft), plants are often very small, with the
rounded leaves seldom exceeding 2.5cm (1 inch) across, and often smaller.
- C. parviflorum var. subalpinum: Larger flowers with
spreading and more twisted petal lobes 8 - 11 (-14)mm (0.31 - 0.43 (-0.55)
inches) long, and often slightly pointed leaves up to 6.8cm (2.7 inches)
across.
Cultivation
C. parviflorum is, as its habitat suggests, very hardy. However,
in the wild it is not used to either standing water or high temperatures. In
its alpine habitat it has moisture at the roots throughout the growing season,
is never subjected to high temperatures, but grows in a relatively dry
atmosphere with high light levels and the tubers only just under the surface.
During the coldest part of the winter it is covered in snow. In its
woodland habitat it grows in moist leaf litter, loam or clay loam with the
tubers between 5-20cm (2-8 inches) beneath the surface. Here, the atmosphere is
almost permanently damp and in the shade of dense woodland the light levels can
be low. Emulating either of these conditions in cultivation is almost
impossible. Although it is perfectly hardy, growing happily in the USA in a
zone 4 area of New York State, C. parviflorum is usually grown in pots
in a lean compost and in order to provide the coolest conditions, is often
placed under the staging. Overhead watering is to be avoided. Outside, the
plant can be grown in a north facing shade bed.
Click above to see the results of the investigation into the
characteristics of Cyclamen parviflorum carried out by the Cyclamen
Society's 1987 Expedition to north-east Turkey.