Cyclamen for Identification

[Diane Clement]

I found this cyclamen in flower yesterday.  It was in a pot of mixed Cyclamen coum seedlings.  This one has a pure white flower with no pink nose.  The leaves are coum shaped leaves with a typical coum pattern, but rather dark.  They are also surprisingly glossy, unusually for coum.
I have only ever seen a pure white coum in Golan Heights which has a more different flower shape and plain leaves.  Although I have had Golan Heights a couple of times, I have never succeeded in getting it through the winter. 
Is it possible this plant is a hybrid?  Not many cyclamen have pure white flowers with no pink nose.  Any thoughts?

[Oron Peri]

Diane,
It isn't Golan Heights, as you have mentioned G.H has a different shape, it has flat form of flower which is typical to the southern populations.

I tend to think that yours is a new Albino form originated from the eastern population, because of the elongated form of the petals and the mouth.

The thick glossy leaf generally is  a characteristic of species that grow in hard conditions, such as C, parvifolium and C, colchicum. [either very windy or very humid], but i think the chance it is an Hybrid with parviflorum resulting in pure Album is almost impossible.

[Diane Clement]

Diane,
It isn't Golan Heights, as you have mentioned G.H different shape, it has flat form of flower which is typical to the southern populations.
I tend to think that yours is a new Albino form originated from the eastern population, because of the elongated form of the petals and the mouth.

Thanks for this, Oron.  Have you any thoughts about the shiny leaves?  I've only seen similar leaves like this on C pseudibericum

[Oron Peri]

I have added my thoughts on the leaf to the original message.

[Diane Clement]

Thanks Oron

[Jo]

Diane,

that is a very interesting plant.  There doesn't look to be any red in the flower stem or leaf reverse, which may indicate lack of pigment and therefore albino type.

Is it your own seed or did it come from an exchange ?

There is a pure white called 'George Bisson ' I'll take and  post pics of it tomorrow.  But yours doesn't look like it.

Mmmmm 

[Maggi Young]

The flower is just charming...... and that leaf....it is very shiny, isn't it? Very exciting plant, I should say.

[Jo]

Here is Georges Bisson for comparison, red petioles show through the flowers.  More vigorous than Golan Heights and better planted out for me.

[Diane Clement]

Diane, that is a very interesting plant.  There doesn't look to be any red in the flower stem or leaf reverse, which may indicate lack of pigment and therefore albino type.  Is it your own seed or did it come from an exchange ?
There is a pure white called 'George Bisson ' I'll take and  post pics of it tomorrow.  But yours doesn't look like it. 

Hi Jo, thanks for your comments and pictures of George Bisson.  I also saw one (GB) at Blackpool show today and it has fairly normal coum leaves, whereas mine are thick and shiny like pseudibericum leaves.  Rob Potterton independently today said the same as you about the lack of colour in the petioles, meaning it is a pure albino.
Where did it come from?  Good question.  I have approx 500 cyclamen in pots, the vast majority of them have labels carefully written with date of sowing and germination, then codes referring to parentage etc.  This particular plant was in a pot just labelled "coum" with 5 others, all the same age, but all different.  Sadly I don't remember where it came from.  Isn't that typical!!     However, for me to have labelled it coum, last year when they were not flowering size, they must have been in another pot of coum, so were possibly seedlings round the side of a larger one
 
The only pure white I have ever had was Golan Heights (twice) but I have never managed to keep it through the winter.  I suppose it (GH) might have pollinated another plant and this is the progeny but not sure if this is possible.
I have asked a few opinions about it today and will continue to ask a few more.     

[ashley]

That GB is lovely Jo.  One I must look out for.

[Rodger Whitlock]

It's a very lovely plant, indeed. I guess I'm old enough to be preachy, so let me plead with you to carefully save the seed and grow more of these, then if they come true, contribute seed to exchanges far and wide.

[Mary]

hello, I have just seen this topic, and wanted to point out the photos that Jo posted are not of cyclamen coum albissimum "George Bisson".  "George Bisson" is a pure albino with no red at all on the flower or leaf stalks, and a pure white flower.  It is a much tougher plant than Coum albissimum "golan heights". 

The seed pods and seeds also also a pale greeny brown colour without any red.  It is very difficult to get it to set seed that is viable hence it is very slow to propogate.

I first discovered "George Bisson" in 1994 and named it after my father. 

[Maggi Young]

Hello, Mary, welcome to the Forum. Have you a photo of the correct plant, named for your Father?

[Mary]

hello Maggi,

yes I do have many photos here somewhere, I will try and post some later on. There are some photos of the seeds pods on the cyclamen society website that I think were taken by Martyn Denny of a plant I gave him about 10 years ago.

[Diane Clement]

Hi Mary
Good to have you on the forum.  I'd be also very interested to see a picture of 'George Bisson'.  Was it a chance seedling or found in the wild?   

Would you also be able to offer any thoughts on my albino at the beginning of this thread?  Almost more interesting than the albino flower was the thick leaf texture.  I am getting very excited to see it flower soon again, I also have some siblings of it that I hope will flower for the first time this year.