Galanthus

Galanthus is a genus of bulbous flowering plants in the amaryllis family, native to Europe and the Middle East. Its species are commonly called snowdrops and typically flower in late winter or early spring.

Connect

Amaryllidaceae: A family of flowering plants that includes onions, daffodils, and snowdrops. Galanthus belongs to this family, alongside genera with similar bulbous growth.
Galanthus nivalis: A European snowdrop species with white flowers and green markings on its inner tepals. This widely cultivated species is the best-known representative of the genus.
Galanthus elwesii: A large-flowered snowdrop species native to southeastern Europe and western Asia. Its size and variable markings distinguish it from the familiar common snowdrop.
Carl Linnaeus: A Swedish botanist who established the modern system of binomial nomenclature. Linnaeus formally described Galanthus nivalis, the genus's type species.
Bulb: A short underground shoot with fleshy leaves that stores nutrients and produces new growth. Snowdrops survive unfavorable seasons and regrow from these underground storage organs.
Galanthus woronowii: A snowdrop species native to the Caucasus and northeastern Turkey, with broad green leaves. Its distinctive foliage makes it a recognizable species in cultivation and identification.
Galanthus plicatus: A snowdrop species with folded leaf margins, native to southeastern Europe and western Asia. Its pleated leaves provide a clear identification feature within the genus.
Species Plantarum: Carl Linnaeus's 1753 work that established the starting point for modern botanical nomenclature. It contains the published name Galanthus nivalis.
Tepal: A floral segment that is not clearly distinguishable as either a petal or a sepal. Snowdrop flowers have six tepals arranged in two whorls.
Galanthamine: An alkaloid used in medicines for treating symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Galanthus species are among the natural sources of this medically used compound.