GROWTH AND FLOWERING OF ENDEMIC WILD LIBYAN GEOPHYTE, CYCLAMEN ROHLFSIANUM ASCHER, WITH A HIGH ORNAMENTAL VALUE

Abstract

Seeds of Cyclamen rohlfsianum showed high germination percentage (88 4%), followed by a rapid development of the fat hypocotyl during 29-35 days of growth and the lastly, one leafy cotyledon emerged from the seed coat. In the present study we measured the annual increments of leaves and tuber size in seedlings of the common geophyte ornamental perennial endemic Libyan, C. rohlfsianum, predicted by shrubs in their native habitat, over 6-year growing period. The results showed that the tuber fresh weight and diameter varied with the age of the plants, depending on the leaf number and area. These slowly increased for the first 3 years, then at a more rapid rate for the following 2 years with the highest reached at 6 years. Flowering did not occur until number of leaves and total leaf area were at least 3 and 49 cm 2 , respectively. The vegetative tuber size of 6.15 g fresh weight and 2.8 cm diameter, (4-year-old plants) were probably large enough to produce, in the next year (5 th year of growing period), three or more flowers (3.5 0.9) and thereafter, more than three leaves emerged (3.76) whereas, 79 3.5% of plants flowered. However, flowering tuber size sharply increased to 21.27 g and 5.49 cm, respectively for 6year-old plants, which were associated with increases in flowering percentage (98 7%), number of flowers (4.3 0.4) and total leaf area (111.78 cm 2 ).