Galanthus February and White ladies (see Symbols). Snowdrops are hardy herbaceous plants that perennate by underground bulbs. They are among the earliest spring bulbs to bloom, although a few forms of "G. nivalis" are autumn flowering. In colder climates, they will emerge through snow (see illustration). They naturalise relatively easily forming large drifts. These are often sterile, found near human habitation, and also former monastic sites. The leaves die back a few weeks after the flowers have faded. "Galanthus" plants are relatively vigorous and may spread rapidly by forming bulb offsets. They also spread by dispersal of seed, animals disturbing bulbs,
Chlamydomonas nivalis optimal position in the snow for moisture content, light, and temperature. When in the immotile cyst stage, the "C. nivalis" cells must depend on the flow of meltwater to move it by chance to a favourable area. The temperatures in which this species can survive in ranges from below 0 °C to just above 20 °C. Growth is slow when temperatures are below 5 °C. At 5-15 °C the growth of "C. nivalis" cells can outperform the growth of C. reinhardtii cells. Both species grow at the same rate at 20-25 °C. The growth of "C. nivalis" is suppressed when