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Wild cyclamens.jpg
Wild Cyclamen persicum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Myrsinaceae
Subfamily: Myrsinoideae
Tribe: Cyclamineae
Genus: Cyclamen

Cyclamen africanum
Cyclamen abchasicum
Cyclamen alpinum
Cyclamen balearicum
Cyclamen cilicium
Cyclamen colchicum
Cyclamen confusum
Cyclamen coum
Cyclamen creticum
Cyclamen cyprium
Cyclamen elegans
Cyclamen graecum
Cyclamen hederifolium
Cyclamen intaminatum
Cyclamen libanoticum
Cyclamen mirabile
Cyclamen parviflorum
Cyclamen persicum
Cyclamen pseudibericum
Cyclamen purpurascens
Cyclamen repandum
Cyclamen rhodium
Cyclamen rohlfsianum
Cyclamen somalense

Cyclamen (US /ˈskləmɛn/ SY-klə-men or UK /ˈsɪkləmɛn/ SIK-lə-men) is a genus of 23 species of perennials growing from tubers, valued for their flowers with upswept petals and variably patterned leaves. Cyclamen species are native to Europe and the Mediterranean Basin east to Iran, with one species in Somalia.

It was traditionally classified in the family Primulaceae but recently has been reclassified in the family Myrsinaceae.[1]

In the APG III system (2009 onwards), Myrsinaceae was not recognized, but was sunk into Primulaceae, which in that system is circumscribed very broadly, as Myrsinoidea sub-family.[2]


Cyclamen is Medieval Latin, from earlier Latin cyclamīnos,[3] from Ancient Greek κυκλάμινος, kyklā́mīnos (also kyklāmī́s), probably from κύκλος, kýklos "circle",[4] because of the round tuber.[5] In English, the species of the genus are commonly called by the genus name.





A tuber of Cyclamen purpurascens with three floral trunks






Christmas tree pattern on a Cyclamen coum leaf
Cyclamen coum - lower side of a leaf


The shape of the leaves varies between the species, and even between different specimens of the same species. Cyclamen hederifolium and Cyclamen repandum usually have leaves shaped like ivy, with angles and lobes, Cyclamen coum has nearly round leaves, and Cyclamen persicum has heart-shaped leaves with a pointed tip. The leaf edge may be smooth, as in Cyclamen coum subsp. coum, or finely toothed, as in Cyclamen graecum. The color of the upper side of leaves is variable, even within a species. Most species have leaves variegated in several shades of green and silver, either in an irregular pattern of blotches or an arrowhead or Christmas tree shape. In cultivation, cyclamens are selected for striking or unusual leaf patterns. The color of the lower side of leaves is often shiny, and is from plain green to rich red or purple.














Cultivation and uses[edit]

Cyclamen persicum 'Stirling', a cultivar



Cyclamen species range from frost-hardy to frost-tender.





Florist's cyclamen[edit]





Caterpillar food source[edit]

Cyclamen species are eaten by the caterpillars of The Gothic moth.




Subgenera and series[edit]

Distribution of cyclamen species: 1. C. balearicum ; 2. C. repandum ; 3. C. purpurascens ; 4. C. hederifolium ; 5. C. rhodium ; 6. C. creticum ; 7. C. graecum ; 8. C. coum ; 9. C. colchicum ; 10. C. parviflorum ; C. abchasicum ; 11. C. elegans ; 12. C. alpinum ; C. intaminatum ; C. cilicium ; C. mirabile ; C. pseudibericum ; 13. C. cyprium ; 14. C. libanoticum ; 15. C. persicum ; 16. C. rohlfsianum ; 17. C. africanum

Subgenus Cyclamen[edit]

Series Cyclamen[edit]


Series Purpurascens[edit]


Series Persicum[edit]


Subgenus Gyrophoebe[edit]

Series Cilicium[edit]


Series Pubipedia[edit]


Subgenus Psilanthum[edit]


  • Cyclamen repandum
  • Cyclamen rhodium
    = Cyclamen peloponnesiacum
    • Cyclamen rhodium subsp. rhodium
      = Cyclamen repandum subsp. rhodense, Cyclamen rhodium
    • Cyclamen rhodium subsp. peloponnesiacum
      = Cyclamen repandum subsp. peloponnesiacum var. peloponnesiacum
    • Cyclamen rhodium subsp. vividum
      = Cyclamen repandum subsp. peloponnesiacum var. vividum

Subgenus Corticata[edit]


Cyclamens bloom in different seasons, depending on the species.

Winter and spring[edit]

Summer and autumn[edit]



  1. ^ Källersjö 2000
  2. ^ Cyclamen and Myrsinoideae in Angiosperm Phylogeny Website
  3. ^ cyclamīnos. Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short. A Latin Dictionary on Perseus Project.
  4. ^ κυκλάμινος, κύκλος. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project
  5. ^ Harper, Douglas. "cyclamen". Online Etymology Dictionary. 
  6. ^ Yesson 2006
  7. ^ Mats Thulin, Ahmed Mumin Warfa - Cyclamen (Primulaceae) in tropical Africa - Systematics and Evolution, 1989, Volume 166, Issue 3-4, pp 249-252


  • Debussche M, Debussche G, Grandjanny M. 2000. Distribution of cyclamen repandum sibth. & sm. Subsp repandum and ecology in Corsica and continental France. Acta Botanica Gallica 147(2): 123-142.
  • Debussche M, Thompson JD. 2002. Morphological differentiation among closely related species with disjunct distributions: A case study of mediterranean cyclamen l. Subgen. Psilanthum schwarz (primulaceae). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 139(2): 133-144.
  • Debussche M, Thompson JD. 2003. Habitat differentiation between two closely related mediterranean plant species, the endemic cyclamen balearicum and the widespread c-repandum. Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology 24(1): 35-45.
  • Källersjö M, Bergqvist G, Anderberg AA. 2000. Generic realignment in primuloid families of the Ericales s.l.: A phylogenetic analysis based on DNA sequences from three chloroplast genes and morphology. American Journal of Botany 87(9): 1325-1341.
  • Yesson, C. .; Culham, A. . (2006). "A phyloclimatic study of Cyclamen". BMC Evolutionary Biology 6: 72. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-6-72. PMC 1599755. PMID 16987413.  edit
  • Yesson C, Toomey NH, Culham A. 2008. Cyclamen: Time, sea and speciation biogeography using a temporally calibrated phylogeny. Journal of Biogeography 9999 (9999).
  • Grey-Wilson C. Timber Press, 1998. Cyclamen: a guide for gardeners, horticulturists, and botanists.

External links[edit]