Cyclamen 2009

[Hans J]

That is what I also found out : Noctua pronuba

[Melvyn Jope]

I think the caterpillar above is that of a yellow under wing. The caterpillar sleeps by day in pot contents

  Happy to defer to your greater knowledge Mark, I jumped to the conclusion having identified what had been eating my cyclamen leaves in previous years. One thing is sure whichever species are guilty the method of control is very effective but only partly satisfying as by the time they are caught the damage has been done and with Cyclamen graecum and C. persicum the chances of new leaves being produced at this time of year is slim.

[Maggi Young]

I fear there are a number of these night active caterpillars about, from various species.....you should hear the BD on the subject..... makes him VERY ratty 

[mark smyth]

a couple of years ago one of these caterpillars destroyed my scoliopus halli

[Paul T]

I found this cyclamen at my favourite florist yesterday.  A fascinating form which, assumedly, the flowers remain only partially opened due to the enlarged calyx-like growth.  I rather like the umbrellas of deep cyclamen purple.  I take it this is a C. persicum selection.

Sorry for the lousy foto.  It is so overcast out, a good shot is impossible.  Manno, I hate dark, wet, cold weather!

Jamie,

Here's hoping that it returns that way next year as well.  Unfortunately so often they don't, as a few of us have bought interesting ones where the flowers don't open fully, only to have them opn normally the next year.  It would be fantastic if yours did stay that way.... such lovely broad petals that it makes a wonderful display.  Good luck.

[Oron Peri]

I found this cyclamen at my favourite florist yesterday.  A fascinating form which, assumedly, the flowers remain only partially opened due to the enlarged calyx-like growth.  I rather like the umbrellas of deep cyclamen purple.  I take it this is a C. persicum selection.

Sorry for the lousy foto.  It is so overcast out, a good shot is impossible.  Manno, I hate dark, wet, cold weather!

Jamie,

Here's hoping that it returns that way next year as well.  Unfortunately so often they don't, as a few of us have bought interesting ones where the flowers don't open fully, only to have them opn normally the next year.  It would be fantastic if yours did stay that way.... such lovely broad petals that it makes a wonderful display.  Good luck.

Jamie and Paul

It should keep this feature, it is a cultivar produced years ago by Sahin who named it 'Whirlygig'.

[Regelian]

Thanks, Oron,

now it has a name.  It does make a wonderful display of colour, Paul, and there were quite a few identical plants offered, assumedly it is a clone or very good seed strain.  I'm going to self the blossoms to see if I get seed.

[Paul T]

I didn't realise there were more than one, and that there were stable variants of this.  Great to hear.  So I am assuming that this must grow true from seed?  Or do they have a method of tissue culture mass production of Cyclamen?

[Oron Peri]

I didn't realise there were more than one, and that there were stable variants of this.  Great to hear.  So I am assuming that this must grow true from seed?  Or do they have a method of tissue culture mass production of Cyclamen?

It is a good strain that comes 100% true from seeds.
Seeds are available commercially, Thompson & Morgan listed it for some years in their catalog.

[Paul T]

Wow!!

Jamie, at least you know you can make more of them for your collection now. 

Is it perfumed at all?  I have one of the smaller (sort of halfway between miniature and the large type florist persicums) that has a strong perfume to it.  I had it at a horticultural display a few months ago in full flower and you could smell it quite clearly  Lovely white flowers with magenta edge.  Unlike most of the other persicums I have, or have had, this one sets seed prolifically by itself.  I was asked to collect some seed for a friend as she wanted to try for some perfumed seedlings, but it looks like nearly every flower set seed.  I hadn't intended to leave them all on, but never got around to cutting most of them off.  Now I am wondering whether the perfume and colourations will be dominant or recessive.  I know they're so heavily bred that the chances are the seedlings will look nothing like the parent, but I am hoping the perfume will be passed on.

[Regelian]

Paul,

I've not noted any fragrance.  Like you, I've noticed the semi-minis often have a strong perfume, but not all of them.  A bit of catch as catch can and a pinch of luck.  They are also somewhat hardy in Cologne, handling -5 in most cases.  I don't think pure C. persicum can handle this, though I have never tried.

I'll keep you in mind should the seed set.

 

[Paul T]

Jamie,

My understanding is that all of these florist ones ARE pure persicum.  They've been selected for size etc, but a while back I read that there hasn't been hybridising into the line, just selection for size, colour, frilliness etc.  I have no idea what the straight wild species would survive, but it is i guess unsurprising that the hardiness has increased by natural selection in colder areas.

[Oron Peri]

Distorted leaves on Cyclamen persicum var. autumnale -

Unfortunately most of the leaves of my one and only plant of the autumn flowering variety started like the smaller one shown here. Some of them grow to a normal size but a little bit later all wilt.
Although I never came along them - I guess the cyclamen mite caused the problem.
I would be glad if there is a grower of cyclamen who could tell me whether I'm right or if there could be another reason for this phenomenon.

Gerd

Gerd
it looks to me like a damage done by aphids when leaf was young,
I also have the feeling that your plant is overwatered, this form likes to be as dry as possible. grow it as if you would grow a  succulent plant, you will see the differens.

[johnw]

By the way - no solution for my problem?

Gerd
[/quote]

Gerd - These leaf contortions are not uncommon here on my cyclamen growing under lights.  I suspected mites but with a hand lens I see none.  I use 2 cool white fluorescent bulbs only and would guess the cyclamen need the full spectrum  which is not supplied from such a set up.  I occassionally see this outdoors during a drought, if vine weevils have been chewing on the roots (before they start on the corm) or there has been a bit of root loss from rot.

johnw

[johnw]

A self-sown seedling in a pot of Ipheon. The suspected mother was a nondescript green-leafed C. persicum collected wild.

johnw