Cyclamen confusum
26th February 2017
I feel a little strange showing a picture of the newly purchased Cyclamen confusum. I don't dislike Cyclamen
but they don't ignite any sort of passion within me. In a world so filled with exciting plants that I can scarcely
contain myself and can't even begin to contain them, I have allowed Cyclamen to prosper in others gardens.
Suddenly I find myself buying new ones, still free of passion, but now charged with curiosity.
I remain more or less untouched by their charms (and I am prepared to accept the word of enthusiasts that they have them)
but I am growing more and more. The reason is simple. Last year I built myself a short section of hydroponic alpine bench,
a curious and ridiculous novelty to see if I can coax some of the more troublesome alpines to thumb their noses at convention.
Sadly I have to admit that a proportion of the charm of the system lies in the chance of inducing apoplexy among the ranks of
the wise and experienced. Ho Hum.
In the spirit of naughty giggling behind my hand I find myself growing Cyclamen in a hydroponic system becauase they
grow well and cause a great deal of well-informed huffing and puffing.
So, my motives are not entirely pure and I feel a little strange about growing so many.
Cyclamen confusum comes from northwest Crete and has only recently been divided from the almost identical C. hederifolium
which grows intermingled with it in habitat. It differs in being a tetraploid rather than the diploid C. hederifolium.
Generally the leaves are thicker and shinier in C. confusum. I imagine
that in habitat they produce an occasional sterile triploid, and that will entertain the taxonomists.
12th October 2017