Cyclamen is the national flower of San Marino. The scientific name of the flower is also Cyclamen. Originating from the Middle East, the Cyclamen persicum naturally grows in countries such as Palestine, Syria, San Marino, Greece, Turkey, Tunisia or even Mediterranean islands like Rhodes, Cyprus and Sicily. It belongs to the family of Primulaceae, sub family of Myrsinoideae, the order of Ericales, tribe of Cyclamineae and kingdom of Plantae. Due to its hard plant, scented flowers, home and garden beauty and its traditional use in herbal medicine it becomes the famous and national flower of San Marino country.
Facts about San Marino’s National Flower (Cyclamen)
- Common Name: Cyclamen
- Found in: Woody and rocky areas
- Color: Various shades of white, red, pink or purple
- Number of petals: 5
- Time of blooming: Winter
- Purpose: Ornamental tree
- Symbolism: Departure
Cyclamen is the favorite national flower symbol of the San Marino people. Cyclamen is a tuberous perennial. In warmer climates, it may be planted in the ground and will reappear every year. In colder areas, it may be wise to add an extra layer of mulch to protect it from harsh temperatures during the winter. San Marino flowers have 5 petals, bent outside or upside. In addition, it may seem to be twisted sometimes, and connected at the base into a cup, and five sepals behind the cup.
The Cyclamen flower has the upside face 1–3 mm out of the nose of the flower and the stamens are beneath the flower. In some species, however, the cone of anthers sticks out highly about 2–3 mm (0.09–0.13 in) beyond the rim of the corolla, comparable to shelling star. The flower has a tuber, which helps in growing the leaves, flowers, and roots. The leaves of most species of cyclamen start to appear in the beginning of autumn. Its growth season is probably the winter, and it dies in the spring season.
Cyclamen, the national flower of San Marino, is a hard, woody, decorative and multi-species flower.
Due to its five packed petals and a number of colors- pink, white or purple, it has become the decoration piece of the houses. In flower meaning, cyclamen means departure. So it is can be a beautiful gift on the departure of someone who is leaving the country, getting retirement etc. The people of the country love this flower because it brings color and beauty to the home with ease without much of a struggle. Besides this, Cyclamens prefer shady conditions and are popularly used as a decorative house or garden plant, and are often grown in pots. Each flower on a stem comes from a developing point on the tuber.
The stem of all classes normally bent 150-180° at the tip, which tries to move the face of the flower downwards. It tolerates temperature down to −20 °C (−4 °F). Below to −30 °C is a freezing point. The flower name derived from the Greek word (“Kuklos”) means circle. It is used in habitual herbal medicine to recover/cure wounds and swellings. The best known cyclamen, Cyclamen persicum, is a significant edible wild plant in Iran and Palestine. Its leaves are also cooked filled with rice, minced mutton meat, spices and eaten with yogurt. Some cyclamens go dormant in summer and appear to be dead; however, they will generally re-sprout leaves in autumn.
To sum up, Cyclamen is the people’s favorite national flower of San Marino. The natural beauty of the woody flower, decorative properties, medicinal properties and also its linkage to the tradition of the region makes this flower the national flower of San Marino.