Cyclamen coum f. pallidum ‘Porcelain’

A selection by Jan Bravenboer. The leaves are reniform (kidney-shaped) to orbicular (round) and are 37-44 mm long by 40-48 mm wide. They are almost plain dark olive green with a lighter rim. The underside of the leaf is purple. The distinctive feature of ‘Porcelain’ is that the petals are white with purple veins. The petals are broadly ovate (egg-shaped) with an obtuse (rounded) tip and are twisted lengthways. They have a distinct purple basal stain, with a violet-coloured ‘m’ shape below on the sinus surrounding two white ‘eyes’. The petal length is 16-17 mm, petal width 11-12 mm twisted. The tuber is depressed on the top, globose (spherical) brown. The roots emerge from the centre of the underside of the tuber. Diameter is approximately 30 mm. The seed pods have an average of 10+ seeds per pod.

The mother plant’s origin is not verified (most probably CSE seed) and it died in 2012. According to correspondence with Jan, seed from this one plant gave a ‘true to type’ rate of 100% in 2013. The second generation of progeny also producing 100% ‘true to type’ plants in 2014. But this is only the case where plants are hand pollinated. Open pollination gives a much smaller percentage that have the correct veining on the petals and therefore thorough roguing is necessary.

Jan got the name from Martin Vogler, a German cyclamen friend and grower, who thought that the flowers reminded him of crazed porcelain.