cyclamen

Any of about 20 species of flowering perennial herbaceous plants that make up the genus , in the myrsine family (Myrsinaceae), native to the Middle East and southern and central Europe. The florist's cyclamen (), the best-known species, is an indoor plant cultivated for its attractive white to pink to deep red flowers. Long-stalked, rounded, or kidney-shaped leaves, often variously marked, grow from the base of the plant, which has no aboveground stem. Solitary flowers grow on stalks less than 12 in. (30 cm) tall.

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