Galanthus nivalis These remarks started the so-called Pusztai affair. The common double snowdrop, "Galanthus nivalis" f. "pleniflorus" 'Flore Pleno', had appeared by 1703, when it was illustrated in "The Duchess of Beaufort's Book". It spread (and was spread) rapidly through northern Europe (by vegetative means, as it sets no seed). With 3–5 outer segments and 12–21 inner segments, which are often misshapen, the flowers may be less attractive to the eye of the purist than single-flowered or neater double cultivars, but they are good value in the garden as the bulbs spread rapidly and the large flowers show up well. There are
Micranthes nivalis Russia, Canada, Alaska and Greenland. The plant was first described by Carl Linnaeus in "Flora Lapponica" (1737), as a result of his Lapland voyage. Some populations from the Canadian Province of Quebec have been recognized as a distinct species by some authors, a variety of "M. nivalis" others: is distinguished from var. "nivalis" by smaller inflorescences and narrower leaves. It is known only from the Shickshock Mountains of the Gaspé Peninsula of southeastern Québec. It has been suggested that this may be a hybrid of "M. nivalis" and "M. tenuis;" further study is warranted. Micranthes nivalis Micranthes nivalis is a