2. Cyclamen ย is aย genus ย of 23ย species ย ofย flowering plants , traditionally classified in the familyย Primulaceae , but in recent years reclassified in the familyย Myrsinaceae ย (Kallersjo et al. 2000). Cyclamen are native to theย Mediterranean ย region fromย Spain ย east toย Iran , and also inย Northeast Africa ย in areas such asย Somalia . Each leaf or flower grows on its own stem, which shoots up from the hypocotyl. The variegation is thought by some botanists to be a form of natural disruptiveย camouflage ย to reduceย grazing ย damage byย animals . The hypocotyl grows leaves and flowers on stems, either one flower or one leaf per stem. The stem for leaves and flowers appears identical except in height. The leaves grow on stems of aroundย 6ย cm - 9ย cmย height. The leaves grow on stems up to 8ย cm tall and form a tightly bunched circular disk of leaves. Leaves are rounded to triangular, 2-10ย cm long and 2-7ย cm broad, and usuallyย variegated ย with a pale silvery horseshoe-shaped mark round the middle of the leaf.The top of the leaf is split with the split extending to the connection with the stem. A common cultivar available in western shops has a leaves with a (slightly stretched) heart shape. The various cultivars produce flowers with either four or five unitedย petals growing from the edge of the flower bud. The petals are usually reflexed back 90ยฐ to 180ยฐ to be erect above the flower bud, and vary from white through pink to red-purple, most commonly pale pink. Theย fruit ย is a five-chambered capsule 1-2ย cm diameter, containing numerous stickyย seeds ย about 2ย mm diameter. Natural seed dispersal is by ants , which eat the sticky covering and then discard the seeds. Cyclamens are used as food plants by theย larvae ย of someย Lepidoptera ย species includingย The Gothic . Cyclamen typically grow in dryย forest ย or scrub, where they are at least partly shaded from intense sunlight. The species vary greatly in winterย frost tolerance, with the hardiest species ( C. hederifolium ) tolerating temperatures down to -15ยฐC (5 ยฐF), or -30ยฐC (-22 ยฐF) if covered byย snow . Others, such asย C.ย somalense ย from northeastern Somalia, do not tolerate any frost at all. Certain climate change models suggest many species could become extinct in their current range within the next 50 years (Yesson & Culham 2006). The cyclamen is also the national flower ofย Israel .