Horns of the Gazelle

Here is a picture of my favorite wild flower in Jordan: the Cyclamen. They are a genus of plants containing 20 species and which are native to the Mediterranean region, western Asia and parts of North Africa including Somalia. They are hardy tuberous plants that can tolerate very cold and also very dry conditions. Their habitats range from beech woodland, through scrub and rocky areas, to alpine meadows. The genus is notable for the fact that although it is small, there are species which flower every month of the year.

This species, Cyclamen persicum, found in Jordan flowers in the early spring and dies down during the hottest part of the summer. The Cyclamen in this picture were found in the northern part of Jordan near Ajloun and a little village called Ishtefena. They were growing in the rocky wooded pine area which is suitable for them as the pines shade them from the hot sunlight and the rocky crevices shield their bulb like roots from grazing sheep and goats.

The Jordanians have several names for this flower, my favorite being 'the horns of the gazelle'..z