Galanthus nivalis the snow", referring either to the snow-like flower or the plant's early flowering. The common name snowdrop first appeared in the 1633 edition of John Gerard's "Great Herbal" (in the first edition (1597) he described it as the "Timely flowring Bulbus violet"). The derivation of the name is uncertain, although it may have come from the German word "Schneetropfen", which was a type of earring popular around that time. Other British traditional common names include "February fairmaids", "dingle-dangle", "Candlemas bells", "Mary's tapers" and, in parts of Yorkshire, "snow piercers" (like the French name ""). "Galanthus nivalis" is widely grown in
Chlamydomonas nivalis such that it is covered by the carotenoid globules full of astaxanthin that will provide protection against UV radiation. The majority (91%) of astaxanthin derivatives are stored in its monoester form within dormant "C. nivalis" red cysts. Astaxanthin is the pigment that makes the cell appear deep red. Other pigments that can also be found in "C. nivalis" include violaxanthin and fadonirubin. Visible algal blooms could be a crucial determinant of surface albedo. It has been suggested that algal blooms partially composed of "C. nivalis" may contribute to lowering ice and snow albedo. The red coloured pigments produced by the