Cyclamen coum - near pure white form

[Paul T]

Howdy All,

I've just found some seed from my near pure white Cyclamen coum as I was repotting them.  There should have been no other colour coum within a number of metres of this area, so the seeds should all be self-pollinated or within the white population.  These plants originally came as seed from the US, and of the 6 seedlings 5 were this near pure white, so the genetics should be fairly stable with few pinks amongst them. 

As you can see in the pictures below, the flowers do have a faint pink nose (this is easier to see in the closeup picture) so they are not a pristine white, but they are still pure white to the casual eye.  The lack of a distinct dark nose is extremely noticeable.  As can also be seen in the pic there are some leaf markings.  I do not know whether this is particularly unusual seed or not, but it is not something commonly found here in Australia as far as I know.

I am happy to send seed to those who are interest, but restrict this offer to those people who post in the forums.  Preference for this seed will be given to people I have traded with or am in the process of trading with (Have got to get the last of the Spiloxene linearis seed off to people!  ).  Please contact me via email or a PM through this site, or as a response to this posting. (added later when realised I forgot).

[mark smyth]

very nice. They always have red noses, dont they?

[Paul T]

Mark,

I think they're usually termed "chocolate" noses, or something like that.  I'll see if I can dig up a pic if I've taken any.

[Paul T]

Here's a pic of the normal type.....

[mark smyth]

I just looked my photos and only have pinks. They have small white tips. Here's a photo I took a few years ago in England

[dominique]

Hi Paul,
very nice Cyclamen indeed. I send you e-mail
Dominique

[Otto Fauser]

Paul &Paul,
just back from a short Alpine Plant Conference in Christchurch ,New Zealand ,and a fieldtrip tothe mountains ,wonderful scenery ,plants, and most important wonderful ,warm people, one of the nicest beeing Ian, Maggie,s better half ! Maggie do you still love me ? or is it all over?
   but to Cyclamen coum: there is a 100 percent pure white form ,collected by the Cyclamen Soc. many years ago on the Golan Heights , Israel. It's proper long name is Cyc.coum ssp. coum forma albissimum .So far my one and only plant has not produced any seed.
   here the first C.hederifolium are in bloom, by early march there should be more than a thousand plants -otherwise only C. purpurascens , purp. forma album, and Cyc. colchicum are in flower.
 ciao Otto.

[Hans J]

Otto ,

it is intereting what you write -
I have two pots full with plants from this C. coum "Goaln height's" -both from different source ( one is from CS - the other from  private )
All these plants comes true from seed -100% white .....but until today also never seeds .....

[Paul T]

Otto,

Yeah, I knew of albissimum, and knew it was purer than mine.  That was why I called mine "near pure white" because I wanted to make the distinction that it wasn't pure white like albissimum.  I've never seen the latter in the flesh, but no markings at all would be lovely.  The pale pink nose on mine is noticeable up close, and it would be nicer with pristine white all over, but it is still different to any of the others I have, and judging by the number of people who've contacted me about the seed it obviously isn't terribly common. 

As to others.... I have lots of hederifolium here in flower, plus some intaminatum, and purpurascens.  I would love to see a pic of your white purpurascens.  The only other one of those I've seen is Hans here in the forums.  Must check my C. colchicum to see whether it is doing much as yet.  I don't think it was last time I checked.

Glad you had fun on your holiday and caught up with Ian and Lesley etc.

[Maggi Young]

just back from a short Alpine Plant Conference in Christchurch ,New Zealand ,and a fieldtrip tothe mountains ,wonderful scenery ,plants, and most important wonderful ,warm people, one of the nicest beeing Ian, Maggie's better half ! Maggie do you still love me ? or is it all over?

Dearest Otto, I was prepared to forgive t you for this "Maggie's better half " but then I read your sweet words to Elena... elsewhere on the Forum.... so I am rather jealous now!

How frustrating it is to try to find seed from these unusual and lovely forms.... I really never met a cyclamen I did'nt like... I even have a florist's fat red variety sitting on my kitchen table at the moment, looking very cheerfull. 
C . coum is looking as stunning as ever in the garden, in spite of whatever horrors the weather throws at it...although only the earliest forms ar out so far.... butthis means there are many more glories to come still 

[Paul T]

Howdy All,

Yeah I know I've been AWOL (that's "Absent Without Leave" if you don't know it) for the last couple of weeks, but I am still intending to send the Cyclamen coum seed out to people who I've promised it to.  Been relatively healthy the last couple of weeks and have been doing lots of stuff (even making a start on that Crocus garden finally!!) but haven't sorted out packages to send off.  Just wanted to post here so that people know that they ARE still coming!! 

Sorry for the delay.

[dominique]

It is not a Problem, Paul. Good health is the most important !

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Great to have you back Paul 

[Paul T]

Okie Dokie.... finally got the seed organised (better late than never!  )  There'll be about 15 seeds in each packet, so that should give everyone a good start.  I've tried to give a mix of large and small seeds in each packet as I have no idea whether that may represent colours etc.  No guarantees that they'll be white seedlings, but given that the original seed I grew them from were almost all whites, there is a pretty good chance that the seed will produce nearly all white forms too.

I've emailed/PM'd everyone who has requested either the Cyclamen coum or the Cyclamen graecum, so if you haven't heard from me please contact me or post here so that I know I've missed you (or the mail has gone missing in transit).