[Alisdair]

Lovely plants, Pat and John.
Just to say that I've merged these separate Cyclamen hederifolium and C. persicum threads into the main Cyclamen topic. We decided to keep genus as the heading for main topics instead of species, to keep navigating around the forum as simply as possible.
(So when you post in this thread, in the Subject line of your message put the species that you're talking about.)

[John]

Cyclamen cyprium Galaxy Series. Over ten years ago I was trying to select a good silver leaf of this species with some dull results but one plant produced a striking mottled effect from dense silver in the centre thinning to speckling. I found after a couple of generations that this came true from seed so have released it with the name Galaxy which I thought seemed fitting. I believe it should be known as a series because it is produced from seed and not vegetative propagation.

[John]

This is my selection of Cyclamen graecum subsp. graecum f. album. From memory it is quite reminiscent of the original clone that Erna Frank collected with a good bold leaf. I seem to remember that she called it Grandma as for many years it was the source of all the white flowered plants though now others have been introduced.

[ezeiza]

A more proper name than Galaxy could not be found. Are they for sale?

[John J]

In 2006 Cyclamen cyprium was chosen as the National Plant of Cyprus (The National Tree was chosen at the same time, Quercus alnifolia (Golden Oak of Cyprus). John's excellent photo clearly shows the distinctive 'M' shaped magenta blob at the base of each lobe. The characteristic crimson-purple underside of the leaves can just be seen too. I would love to have some of these Galaxy Series to go with the native ones I already have, all aquired legally I hasten to add!

[John]

Re. C. cyprium Galaxy Series. They were released through Ashwood nurseries and quite a few people have them now. I also believe that they are turning up in seed exchanges and will no doubt be turning up in the Cyclamen Society seed list if not there already.

[cycnich]

Hello John
              Some lovely things among your posts. Your gaecum album looks very much as I expected and I have plants almost Identical, very close to the original. I love your Galaxy, I just worry that the clone will become weaker by poor selaction as has been the case in the past with many other plants. I think what many people do not realise is that second and third generation seedlings are so much better than the first and selection is a long term thing and you will not get instant results. I have posted a pic of one of several red hederifolium collected on Corfu 2007 (Argyrades group ) to compare with your dark selection. Here lies the problem, out of the 3 custodions of the  plants not one of us as managed to raise a plant of that colour from the seedlings.

[oron peri]

In 2006 Cyclamen cyprium was chosen as the National Plant of Cyprus (The National Tree was chosen at the same time, Quercus alnifolia (Golden Oak of Cyprus). John's excellent photo clearly shows the distinctive 'M' shaped magenta blob at the base of each lobe. The characteristic crimson-purple underside of the leaves can just be seen too. I would love to have some of these Galaxy Series to go with the native ones I already have, all aquired legally I hasten to add!

John

If you are looking for a good leaf patterned plants , there is another fine selection called Cyprium E.S [Named after Elisabeth Strangman], these have fantastic silvery marked leaves and have been in commerce for quite a long time now. You can find it on every Cyclamen seed list as well as in specelized nurseries .

[oron peri]

Hello Pat,
Good to have you here.

That is the finest dark color!!!

[John]

I have grown ES for many years and have produced plants with almost white flowers, just a ghost mark which disappears as they age to white. The dark hederifolium was actually from the garden centre just down the road and I suspect that it is a different strain than those we are used to.

[John]

With the very dark plants from Corfu it may well be worth persevering by back crossing the babies onto the dark parent (if you haven't done this already) where even if the dark feature is recessive it should come out in a portion of the second generation (particularly if back crossed). Just a guess. I could easily be wrong of course.

[John]

This is one of my darkest selections of Cyclamen graecum subsp. graecum. Perhaps not very dark but nice with a good leaf.

[John]

Another species that is usually quite or even very dull in the leaf department is C. repandum and it doesn't generally vary very much but I am aware of the striking almost silver leaf forms collected by the Cyclamen Society in Corsica? I have achieved a quite decent leaf after years of trying and they are generally much slower than C. hederifolium.

[John]

When we were in Crete last autumn for the societies AGM I stayed on with Brian Constable and spent a few days in central Crete. Just south of Fourfouras we visited a site that I have known for many years where there is quite a good population of Cyclamen graecum subsp. mindleri (syn. subsp. candicum). As usual there were plenty of the pale flowered forms with a dark sinus which are very beautiful and typical of this subspecies. First picture.
Also here I noticed a few less usual darker flowered plants, not the first time I have seen this. Second picture.
I have seen some very good leaves at this site though many are normal to boringly marked. Not many leaves were up but here’s a pleasant one growing through a dense mat of a very dwarf form of Iris unguicularis subsp. certensis. Some of these Iris must be of a considerable age. Third picture.

[John]

The attached pictures didn't come through so here they are. Regarding Cyclamen graecum subsp. mindleri.