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Tim
| | Posted on Saturday, November 18, 2006 - 04:50 pm EST : |   
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In another thread I mentioned that quite often the flowers of C. elegans have barbels on the flowers at the mouth of the flower. This characteristic was shown to me by a friend at the Cyclamen Society, Melvyn Jope.
Here are a few photos of C. elegans flowers showing those barbels.
A few more photos of C. elegans. The first is of a mature plant. The second is a first time flowering seedling and the third shows C. elegans with typical leaves. The plant in the third photo was collected for me from a wild colony in Iran.
Tim
- Cambridgeshire,
Zone "7 "
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Carol23
| | Posted on Saturday, November 18, 2006 - 05:28 pm EST : |
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I'd never noticed the flower structure on elegans, Tim. I'd have a whole lot easier time if I kept my magnifying glasses on while looking at the plants! I'll be ready this time.
I don't think my lone plant of coum elegans is yet flowering. Foliage looks like that in your last picture.
Carol23
- Southeastern PA,
Zone "6B"
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Galanthophile
My Favorite Photo
My Garden
| | Posted on Saturday, November 18, 2006 - 05:39 pm EST : |
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What an unusual feature - gorgeous flower colour!
Galanthophile
- Ann (Northern England),
Zone "8"
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Tony_willis
| | Posted on Saturday, November 18, 2006 - 06:00 pm EST : |
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What an interesting feature and super pics of it.I am hoping to get a couple of elegans from Germany soon and so will look for this. Tim are they in flower now and do you keep them warm as I understand they are not hardy?
Tony_willis
- Lancashire,
Zone "7"
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Terryk
My Weather
My Garden
My Time
| | Posted on Saturday, November 18, 2006 - 06:01 pm EST : |
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How I wish I lived down the road from you, I would be running down the road every Saturday to see what was in bloom.
Terryk
- NY,
Zone "6"
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Tim
| | Posted on Sunday, November 19, 2006 - 04:46 am EST : |
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They are in flower now, Tony. Peak flowering will probably occur in 10-14 days. I keep the glasshouses just above freezing, so no actual heat. I don't know about the hardiness of elegans - it's supposed to be a little difficult outside, but I wonder if it's just a case of finding or creating the right spot for them, as is the case with so many of the other species. In Iran it can be found growing up on tree branches, so I suppose that makes it the only cyclamen species which can be regarded as an occasional epiphyte. I think it must root in the moss on the tree branches.
I will try it outside here one day when I have enough stocks. A lot of my stock cyclamen are going outside next summer. I will keep only my favourites (all of my purpurascens) and those species I exhibit a lot under glass. I won't have examples of every species under glass anymore.
It's only a 6 or 7 hour flight, Terry...
Tim
- Cambridgeshire,
Zone "7 "
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Berthold
| | Posted on Sunday, November 19, 2006 - 08:10 am EST : |
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Hello Tim,
That's very interesting with the barbels. I am growing elegans for 3 years only (in the garden, for Tony: west north west part of Germany, mild climate) an had only one flower yet. I didn't notice these barbels. They are not mentioned by C. Grey-Wilson in his book. Should I update the book? You said "quite often" that means not always?
Berthold
Berthold
- NRW, Germany,
Zone "8a"
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Tim
| | Posted on Sunday, November 19, 2006 - 11:12 am EST : |
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Hello Berthold. The light here is fading but I have just taken a photo which should show you what part of the flower these barbels are, the persistent calyx. Look at the flower at the 5 o'clock position and you can see which part I am referring to. As far as I know, this has never been seen in any other species of cyclamen.
Yes, you are right, it is a characteristic that does not always occur. I do have plants of C. elegans here which do not have the barbels.
As for the book, well... it is a good starting place for cyclamen enthusiasts but it does contain a lot of inaccurate information regarding the cultivation of cyclamen but I suppose that's to be expected when it has been written by someone who, by their own admission struggles with several species. More delegation was needed regarding the cultivation bits of the book. Some of the distribution maps could do with a little adjustment too.
Tim
- Cambridgeshire,
Zone "7 "
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Berthold
| | Posted on Sunday, November 19, 2006 - 03:43 pm EST : |
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Hello Tim,
is it possible that the barbels are not so much extended in all cases and it is difficult to recognize them?
I just got elegans seeds from Iran but I fear I will not lighten up this question before end of decade by these.
Berthold
Berthold
- NRW, Germany,
Zone "8a"
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Tim
| | Posted on Sunday, November 19, 2006 - 04:29 pm EST : |
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Yes, that is right, Berthold. If one were trying to key out elegans though, you would be able to do so without resorting to looking for this characteristic. C. elegans isn't likely to be confused with any other cyclamen species.
Tim
- Cambridgeshire,
Zone "7 "
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