How to identify Alpine violet (Cyclamen)

How to identify Alpine violet (Cyclamen)

Alpine violet, also known as Sowbread

Alpine violet presents as a perennial with a distinctive mounded form, thriving primarily beneath tree canopies or sheltering shrubs. The foliage is particularly notable, often heart or kidney-shaped, adorned with patterns of marbled variegation. Flowers borne by alpine violet emerge in a spectrum of hues, including white, pink, magenta, red, and lavender, contributing to its ornamental appeal. Flowering from fall to spring, each bloom is intricately structured. The entire plant grows from a tuber, an underground storage organ, and belongs to the Primulaceae family.

Lifespan: Perennial

Leaf Type: Semi-evergreen

Quickly Identify Alpine violet

Heart or kidney-shaped leaves with marbled variegation, up to 3 inches (7.5 cm) across.

Distinctive flowers in white, red, pink, magenta, and lavender colors, around 1 inch (2.5 cm) diameter.

Solitary flowers on stalks, 'nodding' appearance, petals rounded, triangular, twisted.

Rounded fruit capsule with 5-7 chambers, opens to release sweet, sticky seeds for dispersal.

Grows from an underground tuber, flowering from fall to spring, belonging to Primulaceae family.

Detailed Traits of Alpine violet

Leaf Features

The leaves of alpine violet are alternate and range in shape from heart-shaped to kidney-shaped, and sometimes almost circular, measuring up to 3 inches (7.5 cm) across. They typically have a dark green hue, accented with variegated silver patterns including blotches, flecks, diamonds, heart shapes, Christmas tree shapes, or spearheads. The leaf margins can be entire, toothed, or lobed. Leaves emerge in the fall or winter and persist until the plant goes dormant in summer.

Learn About the Leaf Glossary

Flower Features

Alpine violet flowers exhibit a captivating array of colors, including white, red, pink, magenta, and lavender. Each flower, blooming from fall through spring, stands solitary on its stalk, showcasing a whimsical 'nodding' appearance. The blooms, around 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter, consist of 5 lobes that fuse at the base to form a tube-like structure. The petals are diverse in shape, being either rounded, triangular, or twisted. These vibrant flowers are a distinctive and ornamental feature of alpine violet, delighting plant enthusiasts.

Learn About the Flower Glossary

Fruit Features

The fruit of alpine violet is a rounded capsule structured into 5-7 distinct chambers. This formation is essential as it holds the plant's seeds, which are encased in a sticky, sweet substance. As the seeds reach maturity, the capsule undergoes a transformation where it opens to release its contents. While the color of the fruit is not specified, its unique feature is the method of dehiscence, an adaptation likely to aid in the dispersal of the sugary seeds, which may attract ants and other organisms that assist in seed distribution.

Learn About the Fruit Glossary

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