Authors:
A very variable plant. Tubers large and corky, rather flattened, rooting from the top and sides, to 15cm diameter or more. Leaves cordate to oblong to lanceolate, generally angled or lobed in the lower half, the margin toothed, 3-14cm long, plain green or more usually with a well-marked hastate pattern in grey or cream. Flowers appearing before or with the young leaves, scented or unscented, pale to deep pink with a darker, purple-magenta, V-shaped blotch at the base of each lobe; petal lobes oblong to elliptical, strongly twisted, 1.4-2.2cm long; auricles present, late summer to late autumn. Fruit with pedicel coiling from the top downwards. Southern France and Switzerland, Corsica and Sardinia east to Greece, Aegean Islands and southern Turkey, in woodland, maquis and open scrub, sea level to 1300m. The easiest species in cultivation, thriving in most gardens in sun or partial shade, seeding itself around once established. Forma album (syn. 'Album') has pure white flowers, - common in gardens but scarce in the wild. 'Bowles Apollo' is a form with particularly well-marked leaves having a double silver shield pattern and a reddish tinge. 'Perlenteppich' bears creamy-white flowers.
a, C. cilicium; b, C. coum; c, C. graecum; d, C. hederifolium; e, C. intaminatum; f, C. libanoticum; g, C. pseudibericum; h, C. repandum subsp. repandum; i, C. trochopteranthum;
