Cyclamen coum f. albissimum ‘Ashwood Snowflake’
This cultivar has leaves variously patterned in silver; flowers sometimes pale pink in bud, fading to pure white within 2 – 3 days; a selection made in 2007 from a pan of seedlings raised from seed of CSE S21/N88397, which was collected by The Cyclamen Society on the 1988 Field Study at a site near Artvin in Turkey, at an altitude of 800 m (2625 ft). Three seedlings were selected from the pan as they had flowers of pure white, with no sinus mark. The foliage was also interesting, having a superb silver colour with a perfectly symmetrical deep green ‘Christmas tree’ mark in the centre; better than any other ‘albissimum’ selection then available.
The seedling progeny of these three plants fell into three groups:
- ‘Snowflake’ type.
- An ‘albissimum’ type with mid-green, slightly marbled leaves.
- A superb form with pure silver leaves and flowers of the palest candy-pink. (This may also be named and offered for sale in the near future.)
The medium-sized flowers of ‘Ashwood Snowflake’ are sometimes pale pink in bud, but after unfolding they fade to pure white within 2 – 3 days. It has proved to be easy to cultivate and makes an outstanding pot specimen. It is gratifying that good things are still appearing amongst the progeny of this one CSE plant collected so long ago, although in the interim it has died of old age.