Cyclamen 2014

[SJW]

A part of my Cyclamen purpurascens has funghi on the leaves. Can somebody say me what this could be and how can one fight against it? Many Thanks

Udo - this may help? http://extension.psu.edu/pests/plant-diseases/all-fact-sheets/cyclamen-diseases

Is it new or just old leaves that are affected? If the latter I'd be inclined to remove them.

[Maggi Young]

Here are some more cyclamen that i have in flower, the first is Cyclamen hederifolium var. hederifolium f. albiflorum 'Perlenteppich', grown from cyclamen seed about four years ago and spreading nicely, next is Cyclamen hederifolium var. hederifolium, lovely pink flowers, next is cyclamen hederifolium Red Sky with dark pink flowers, next i have found this cyclamen flowering in my greenhouse with no label to identify it, i think it may be cyclamen intaminatum, if someone can confirm this i would be grateful, it has small light pink flowers with a darker nose. Lastly i noticed Cyclamen coum subsp. caucasicum has already started into new growth in the greenhouse.

  pictures very pixelated when enlarged - sorry, I have no idea what's happening with your photos!

[David Nicholson]

I wonder if it's because John's pictures show as being saved as .png files. Maybe if he saved them as .jpg files instead all would be well.

I haven't a clue what I'm talking about

[Chris Johnson]

A part of my Cyclamen purpurascens has funghi on the leaves. Can somebody say me what this could be and how can one fight against it? Many Thanks

Hi Udo

There are thousands of different fungi that infect almost every know plant, many host-specific. Many of them are collectively termed 'rust' fungi, which is what I think you have. The two main species that attack cyclamen are Coleosporium tussilaginis and Puccinia lagenophorae. they infect Tussilago and Senecio species in the wild.

Rusts have a complicated life cycle which can run to five stages, some requiring a different host to complete the cycle. They are largely disfiguring rather than fatal. I would recommend removing and burning the affected leaves and maybe the use of a fungicide to reduce the chance of reinfection.

At this time of year most rusts will have reached the telial stage with teleutospores (overwintering resting spores) produced on the underside of the leaves. At leaf-drop, they remain dormant in the soil and reinfect the young leaves in spring.

Chris

[Maggi Young]

I wonder if it's because John's pictures show as being saved as .png files. Maybe if he saved them as .jpg files instead all would be well.

I haven't a clue what I'm talking about

Well spotted, David - that will be the problem, I'm sure - saving as jpg or jpeg is the way to go. While .png filed are permitted to be loaded, I think the srgc resizer is meant to work for jpg so it seems that is the most likely source of the difficulty.

[johnstephen29]

Thanks for your help Maggi & David, I'll give it another go.

[udo]

Many thanks, Steve and Chris.
These are of all new leaves, the points often already appear few weeks after the development of the foliage sheets. Only empty Cyclamen will strike it, under trees and shrubs they stay healthy. To struck plants blossom, nevertheless, well and bring constantly new leaves.

[annew]

John, I think your no-label is C. mirabile - going by the fringed ends to the petals.

[SJW]

Cyclamen purpurascens silver. Good leaf, unruly habit.

[johnstephen29]

Hi Anne I did think of that, but I thought it was one too small for mirabile & two is was too early. That's why I though of intaminatum.

[krisderaeymaeker]

C. hederifolium with darker flowers .

Hederifolium - seedling in the garden .

C. persicum already in leaf again , this is rather early ....

[johnstephen29]

Found these hederifolium seedlings growing under a hardy geranium, will leave them alone for the winter and move them next spring.


image by johnstephen29, on Flickr

[Melvyn Jope]

Steve, what a fabulous leaf shape on your silver leaf C.purpurascens, haven't seen that before.
John, I agree with Anne's identification, definitely C.mirabile.

[Graeme]

Steve, what a fabulous leaf shape on your silver leaf C.purpurascens, haven't seen that before.

I can echo that - how big a pot is that in?

It seems that all my hederifolium seedlings are white this year - just been re-potting all the cyclamen in the alpine house will post pictures when they flower

[johnstephen29]

Thanks Melvyn, I didn't think mirabile flowered this early, none of my other plants are even showing. You were right Anne.