The

perennial plants in the family Primulaceae, genus Cyclamen, which naturally originated from the coastal Mediterranean, are one of the most important pot plants in the world. The genus Cyclamen includes about 20 species that have different characteristic features. Cyclamen persicum Mill, e.g., can display several flower colors, ranging from white through red, pink, and purple; this plant variety is the only economically significant pot plant. Traditional Cyclamen breeding methods have produced a large number of cultivars with improved floral characteristics and disease tolerance. Further genetic enhancement is conceivable via biotechnological applications such as micropropagation, cell fusion, induction of somaclonal variation, and genetic transformation. However, there are a few reports on th