Cyclamen 2013

[cycnich]

tapping,slapping,tickling, all of these are a daily routine for me as soon as I get home from work. I am sure it has some effect as the pollen falls like snow but is still dependent on temperature and humidity. The neighbours think I have lost the plot and you can picture them looking out the windows and saying what the hell is he doing now why doesn't he leave the poor things alone. Today I got my wish for a sunny ,breezy day and I was home a little early so not only did they get tapped they got a damn good hiding,lets see if that works.

[Melvyn Jope]

Prompted by the comments on this thread regarding 'red' Cyclamen hederifolium I attach a few photos of the variants that I am growing.
1. A form becoming more readily available, this is a plant that I bought in October last year from Jan Bravenboer at the Cyclamen Society show. Very dark colouring but perhaps more purple than red.
2.A Cyclamen Society plant from Corfu and a lovely brick red colour. I always look for fragrance in plants and this form is particularly well perfumed.
3. This plant was found many years ago by the late David Baker in the Pelion region of Greece.
4. Another Cyclamen Society plant from Corfu.
5. A close up of the above

[Hans A.]

Just breathtaking, Melvyn!!!

[krisderaeymaeker]

Just breathtaking, Melvyn!!!

Agree with Hans ! Indeed breathtaking forms with great future ! Never see such great forms here in Belgium ! Thanks for sharing Melvyn . Hope they wil spread soon because they are realy new introductions .

[Jo]

Wow Melvin that second plant is an amazing colour,  and scented too, I'm drooling here   

A lot of my potted Cyclamen are kept in greenhouses and I think that the lack of air movement reduces pollination.  I find that standing the pots outside on fine windy days helps.  I have had a very good set on hederifolium 'Stargazer' this year by leaving it outside.

I am also a flower tapper but reckon that temperature makes a difference to pollen release, and even when its falling they don't necessarily fertilise.  Ho hum

[fenius]

Fenius, they look like C.hederifolium to me but not the usual form, could be ssp crassense perhaps? Are they scented? Where did you get them from?

I was thinking hederifolium or africanum but I don't detect any scent, that's where I had trouble.. I bought them last year on ebay as coum (..I think not!!) I'd never heard of crassense I can only find crassifolium on cyclamen society, is that it?? I just love how confusing cyclamens are!

ps. wow melvin

[Melvyn Jope]

More 'red' Cyclamen hederifolium.

1. This plant was found by the late Ole Sonderhausen. I do not have access to his field notes but the plant number is OS.505 and was I believe collected in Sicily.
2. Another Cyclamen Society plant from Corfu.
3. A close up of the above.
4. A red flowered seedling.
5. Another red flowered plant of unknown provenance.
I have now successfully produced a few red flowered seedlings but the success rate is quite low. I was amused by Pat's thought of regular slap and tickle but this year I have been diligently trying to assist pollination with a paint brush.
I think the poor success rate in pollination may be due to the plants of Corfiot origin flowering later in the season when its damp and colder. This year there seem to be very few hover flies pollinating but still plenty of bumble bees.

[Maggi Young]

I don't think "tapping" is as good as  the vibration that might be found on a car trip! Tapping may be too violent and just lead to pollen falling - vibration should lead, if my theory is correct - to more scattering of the pollen, getting to all the important little places......


 That said, I hope Melvyn continues to tap and vibrate these glorious reds as much as he can!!

[Maggi Young]

I like all the reds - but does anyone else agree with me that  SDIM5624rs looks like a Rory McEwan painting?

Just a lovely photo! 

[Mark Griffiths]

Fenius, yes, sorry, that should have been crassifolium.

typical hederifolium often isn't scented.

[ashley]

That Corfiot red is amazing Melvyn, as indeed is the plant from Jan Bravenboer.  Thanks for showing them.

Dampness rather than temperature appears to be the main limiting factor here, presumably causing pollen to stick fast to anthers.  Nevertheless, my mirabile plants consistently seem more resistant to tapping than other species including cilicium.  Putting them out on a dry windy day might be best, as Jo suggests.

[SJW]

More 'red' Cyclamen hederifolium.

Melvyn, it would be an unsettling experience for any Man City or Everton fan visiting your greenhouse; the different shades of red flowers you have are just terrific. What sort of germination rate did you get for the Corfu seeds? Good, or are the seedlings a bit miffy? As I mentioned in an earlier post I sowed 5 seeds last autumn, one came up and its growth rate has been pretty slow. Still waiting for the others to germinate but I live in hope.

[SJW]

Dampness rather than temperature appears to be the main limiting factor here, presumably causing pollen to stick fast to anthers.  Nevertheless, my mirabile plants consistently seem more resistant to tapping than other species including cilicium.  Putting them out on a dry windy day might be best, as Jo suggests.

Both mirabile and cilicium can be temperamental for me - the flowers seem to suffer more than most if the humidity gets too high and the ventilation isn't spot on. On taking the plants for a drive, I thought this came from observations of exhibitors noting some plants having good seed set after taking them to a show? Lots of air movement, warm car, lower humidity in the exhibition hall than in the greenhouse etc.

[Naoto The Zombie]

2.A Cyclamen Society plant from Corfu and a lovely brick red colour. I always look for fragrance in plants and this form is particularly well perfumed.

Wow! Very nice colour, indeed! Thanks for sharing!

[Otto Fauser]

Hello Melvyn ,
  your collection of red and reddish Cyc. hederifolium is breathtaking . The most desirable one has to be the red one 2A collected by the Ccylamen Soc  in Corfu . I would be most grateful for a few seeds of this one and /or the other reds .

     All Cyc. species grow well here in the garden ,except rohlfsianum and of course I do not have somalense .

       In case you are able to spare a fewseeds   here my address :  Otto Fauser
                                                                                                7 Bella Vista Crescent,
                                                                                                 Olinda , Vic. 3788 ,  Australia .

                             kind regards ,

                                                             Otto.