Eastern Sowbread

Appearance

The tuber produces roots from the center of the bottom only. It remains small, only reaching about 6.5 cm across.

Leaves are round or kidney-shaped to long heart-shaped. The color is all-silver, all-green, or silver variegated with a variably sized green hastate or "Christmas tree" pattern and a green edge. The edge is smooth or gently toothed, but never angled and pointed as in ''Cyclamen hederifolium''.

Flowers are squat, with almost round petals, unlike any other group of cyclamen species. They bloom from winter to spring. The petals are magenta, pink, or white, with a darker blotch at the base. Below the blotch is a small white or pink "eye".

Naming

The species name ''coum'' more likely refers to Koa or Quwê , which is part of the species' natural range, than to the island of Kos, where the species does not grow.There are two subspecies and three forms, distinguished by leaf and flower characteristics. ''Cyclamen elegans'' was formerly considered a subspecies , but is now a species in its own right.
⤷  leaf as wide or broader than long
⤷ * ''Cyclamen coum'' subsp. ''coum'' — leaf edge usually smooth, petal lobes 0.8–1.4 cm
⤷ **''Cyclamen coum'' subsp. ''coum'' f. ''coum'' — petals pink to magenta, with dark markings at base of petal lobe
⤷ **''Cyclamen coum'' subsp. ''coum'' f. ''pallidum'' — petals white or very pale pink, with dark markings
⤷ **''Cyclamen coum'' subsp. ''coum'' f. ''albissimum'' — petals pure white, without markings
⤷  leaf longer than wide
⤷ * ''Cyclamen coum'' subsp. ''caucasicum'' — leaf wavy-edged — petals 1.2–2 cm

Note: The isolate population of Crimea, formerly called ''Cyclamen kuznetzovii'' Kotov & Czernova, is now considered as a local variant of ''Cyclamen coum''.The ''Cyclamen coum'' group also includes ''Cyclamen abchasicum'', ''Cyclamen elegans'', ''Cyclamen alpinum'', ''Cyclamen parviflorum'' and ''Cyclamen pseudibericum''.

⤷ leaves wider than long
⤷ *''Cyclamen parviflorum''
⤷ *:flowers tiny; leaves green
⤷ leaves longer than wide; leaf edge coarsely toothed, scalloped, or shallowly lobed
⤷ *petals as long as ''Cyclamen coum''
⤷ **''Cyclamen alpinum''
⤷ *:petals horizontal, twisted like a propeller; leaves speckled with grey
⤷ *petals longer than ''Cyclamen coum''
⤷ ** ''Cyclamen abchasicum''
⤷ *:taxon between ''Cyclamen coum'' and ''Cyclamen elegans''
⤷ **''Cyclamen elegans''
⤷ **''Cyclamen pseudibericum''
⤷ *:petals with broad dark blotch and white band on nose

Distribution

''Cyclamen coum'' is native to two areas. The main range is around the Black Sea, from Bulgaria through northern Turkey to the Caucasus and Crimea, and a disjunct population lies near the Mediterranean from the Hatay Province in Turkey through Lebanon to northern Israel.

''Cyclamen coum'' subsp. ''coum'' inhabits the western part of the main range and the southern area, while ''C. coum'' subsp. ''caucasicum'' inhabits the eastern part, including the Caucasus. Plants with intermediate characteristics are found in the middle of the range.