Galanthus name for the feast day. The French name of "Violette de la Chandaleur" refers to Candlemas, while an Italian name, "Fiore della purificazone", refers to purification. The German name of "" (Little snow bells) also invokes the symbol of bells. In the Language of flowers, the "Snowdrop" is synonymous with 'Hope', as it blooms in early springtime, just before the vernal equinox, and so is seen as 'heralding' the new spring and new year. Galanthus Galanthus (snowdrop; Greek "gála" "milk", "ánthos" "flower") is a small genus of about 20 species of bulbous perennial herbaceous plants in the family Amaryllidaceae. The
Micranthes nivalis Micranthes nivalis Micranthes nivalis is a plant species in the saxifrage family. It is commonly called snow saxifrage or (ambiguously) "alpine saxifrage". Found on irrigated rocks or open vegetation in shaded sites, often on mountain ledges and crags with base rich substratum. This species is not very tolerant of competition and so is found in damp crevasses where it survives in small pockets. "M. nivalis" is a perennial species which has been found to set seed in Scotland but not in Cumbria where the populations are small and threatened. This species is also found in Norway, Ireland, Svalbard, northern Germany,