National Flower of Cyprus - Cyprus cyclamen

Cyclamen cyprium (Cyprus cyclamen) is a perennial growing from a tuber, native to woodland at 300–1,200 m (980–3,900 ft) elevation in the mountains of Cyprus. It is the national flower. Cyclamen persicum and Cyclamen graecum are also found on Cyprus, but are not endemic.

Description

Leaves are heart-shaped with coarsely toothed edges, green variegated with blotches of silver above and purple beneath.

Flowers bloom in autumn to winter, and have 5 upswept petals, white to pale pink with a magenta blotch near the nose. The bases of the petals curve outwards into auricles. After pollination, flower stems curl, and seeds are borne in round pods, opening by 5 flaps when mature.

Cyclamen ×wellensiekii Iets. is a hybrid obtained in 1969 in the Netherlands between this species and Cyclamen libanoticum – the other species of sub-genus Corticata. This fertile hybrid has pink flowers from November till March.

Source, Images: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyprus_cyclamen