cyclamen

Any of about 20 species of flowering perennial herbaceous plants that make up the genus Cyclamen, in the myrsine family (Myrsinaceae), native to the Middle East and southern and central Europe. The florist's cyclamen (C. persicum), 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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