Appearance
"Cyclamen creticum" is a small plant that grows to heights of about 15 cm. It is a long-lived perennial herb with a tuberous rootstock. They tend to grow on rocky places, stream and river banks, gullies, or under bushes. Can be described as a tender plant; prefers to grow in the shade protected from the sun.Leaf - Heart-shaped, cordate leaves, often coarsely toothed, of dark-green color with a red-purple back. Cloudy or netted silvery markings can be seen on the leaf.
Flower - Within the same species, "C. creticum" flowers come in two distinguished forms: Forma "creticum" and Forma "pallide-roseum".
─⟶ Forma "creticum" flowers are completely white.
─⟶ Forma "pallide-roseum" flowers are white to light
──⟶ :::::::::pink with an hints of pale pink infused.
In its habitat, there is no true demarcation of these two forms. Forma "creticum" is by far the more common form. The flowers are hermaphroditic and solitary. Strongly fragrant but produces no nectar. The corolla is formed by five petals, which are long and slender with an absence of auricles. Flowers bloom around April to May.
Stalk - The stalk is long, thin, and red.
Distribution
"Cyclamen creticum" is endemic to the Greek Islands of Crete and Karpathos.It is known to grow on two locations in Karpathos whereas it is abundantly found all over Crete, growing at sea level to 1300m.
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