Cyclamen is a genus of 25 species of perennial flowering plants in the family Primulaceae. In English, it is known by the common name sowbread, or (particularly in horticulture), by the genus name as cyclamen. The species are native to Europe and the Mediterranean Basin east to the Caucasus and Iran, with one species in Somalia. They grow from tubers and are valued for their flowers with upswept petals and variably patterned leaves.
Names
Cyclamen is Medieval Latin, from earlier Latin cyclamīnos, from Ancient Greek κυκλάμινος, kyklā́mīnos (also kyklāmī́s), from κύκλος, kýklos "circle", from the coiled fruit stalks after flowering, or from the round tuber.
In many languages Cyclamen species are colloquially called by a name like the English sowbread, because they are said to be eaten by pigs, based on Medieval Latin panis porcinus; Saubrot in German, pain de pourceau in French, pan porcino in Italian and varkensbrood in Dutch.
Description
Cyclamen have a tuber, from which the leaves, flowers and roots grow. In most species leaves come up in autumn, grow through the winter and then die in spring, then the plant aestivates, going dormant through the dry Mediterranean summer.
Tuber and roots
A tuber of Cyclamen purpurascens with three floral trunks
The storage organ of the Cyclamen is a round tuber, which develops from the hypocotyl (the stem of a seedling). It is often mistakenly called a corm, but a corm (found in crocuses, for example) has a papery tunic and a basal plate from which the roots grow. The storage organ of the Cyclamen has no papery covering and, depending on the species, roots may grow out of any part. It is therefore properly classified as a tuber (somewhat like a potato). The tuber may produce roots from the top, sides or bottom, depending on the species. Cyclamen persicum and Cyclamen coum root from the bottom; Cyclamen hederifolium roots from the top and sides. Cyclamen graecum has thick anchor roots on the bottom....
