Any of about 15 species of flowering perennial herbaceous plants that make up the genus Cyclamen , in the primrose family (Primulaceae), 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.