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Distribution & HabitatCyclamen pseudibericum grows in a small area in the Amanus and Anti-Taurus Mountains of southern Turkey In grows in Pinus brutia forest and deciduous Quercus and Fagus scrub, amongst rocks and tree roots in deep leaf litter, ataltitudes of 500 -1,500m (1,640 - 4,920 ft). The known distribution describes an arc from the northern Hatay at Dortyol, through Karatepe, Dul-Dul-Dag, Duzici (Harunye), Yenicekale, Puren Pass, Feke, and Karsanti. |
Cyclamen pseudibericum is one of the most attractive species in the genus. The large flowers, which appear between March and May, are described by Grey-Wilson (1988) as a vivid magenta colour, sometimes lilac-magenta, with a chocolate-magenta ace-of-spades shaped blotch towards the base of each petal, the stalk of the blotch bisecting a white zone surrounding the mouth. The petals are 18-25mm (0.72-1.0 inches) long and 8-11mm (0.35-0.45 inches) wide.
The leaves are broadly cordate, 2.3-7.8cm (0.9 - 3.0 inches) long and 2-8.2cm (0.8 - 3.3 inches) wide. They are invariably very glossy, dark green with grey-green or whitish marbling. The tuber roots from underneath. Chromosome count 2n=30.
C. pseudibericum was first described in 1901, but was not brought into cultivation until re-discovered in 1957 by Oleg Polunin and Peter Davis, who found the plant growing near Haruniye and collected tubers under PD 26117. This was the form of the plant usually seen in cultivation. Later, in 1966, Albury, Cheese & Watson discovered a new location for the plant, near Dortyol, where the flowers ranged from white through pale pink to the normal magenta form. They introduced an attractive pale form under their number ACW664 - this goes under the name C. pseudibericum forma roseum
Although normally grown under glass, C. pseudibericum will stand a reasonable amount of frost, particularly when grown in the shelter of shrubs or trees. Where it is happy out of doors, it is more vigorous and floriferous.