Greek Sowbread, Cyclamen graecum

Cyclamen graecum is a very variable species, which is at home on stable

screes and other rocky habitats, and is happy growing both on the hardest of

conglomerates and in deep pine needle litter. It grows from September to November and its altitude ranges from sea level, where it can be found within a couple of meters of the high water mark, to 1,200m (4,000 ft).

Its leaves are infinitely variable and include some of the most striking patterns and vivid color combinations found in the entire genus. The basic color is dark green, though all shades from black/green through gray/green to lime green can be found. The leaf pattern is usually contrasting blotches or bands of cream, green, gray or silver. The combinations are so numerous that a collection of different leaf forms could be a study in itself. In addition, pure silver leaf forms have been discovered, one of which was found above Glyfada, southeast of Athens.

The flowers of C. graecum appear either just before, or with the leaves and vary from pale pink to deep carmine, with a magenta blotch at the base. There is also a rare albino form.

Type of plant
Low

perennial

Flowering Season
September - November

Known Hazards
N/A

Known Uses
N/A

Habitat
Rocky slopes, often on red soils (terra rosa), rock fissures, olive groves and scrub, ususally in sunny exposed places.

Distribution
Mainland Greece, Crete and the Aegean Islands, W. and S. Turkey and N. Cyprus.

Top

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae (Plants); Subkingdom: Tracheobionta (Vascular plants); Superdivision: Spermatophyta (Seed plants); Division Magnoliophyta (Flowering plants); Class: Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledons); Subclass: Dilleniidae; Order: Primulales; Family: Primulaceae (Primrose family); Genus: Cyclamen; Species: graecum

Acknowledgments

Most of the information on this page was obtained from the "Cyclamen Society". Their site contains lots of pictures and information about all 20 known cyclamen species.