Galanthus confused with the other two genera, "Leucojum" and "Acis" (both called snowflakes). "Leucojum" species are much larger and flower in spring (or early summer, depending on the species), with all six tepals in the flower being the same size, though some "poculiform" (goblet- or cup-shaped) "Galanthus" species can have inner segments similar in shape and length to the outer ones. Galantheae are likely to have arisen in the Caucusus. "Galanthus" has about 20 species, but new species continue to be described. "G. trojanus" was identified in Turkey in 2001. "G. panjutinii" (Panjutin's snowdrop) was discovered in 2012 in five locations
Chlamydomonas nivalis become one of the most well-studied snow algae. Although its taxonomy is still being settled, the life cycle of this snow algae is now much better understood. The historical disputes about the classification and misclassification of specimens have resulted in a number of names from older publications that all mean to refer to "C. nivalis". These are: "Uredo nivalis", "Sphaerella nivalis", "Protococcus nivalis", and "Haematococcus nivalis". "C. nivalis" has been reported worldwide in mountainous regions, polar regions, or snowfields of every continent. It is the most abundant snow algae and typically composes the majority of cells identified in specimens taken