Galanthus fosteri" comes from Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, and maybe Israel. "Galanthus" grows best in woodland, in acid or alkaline soil, though some are grassland or mountain species. Snowdrops have been known since early times, being described by the classical Greek author Theophrastus in the fourth century BC in his "Περὶ φυτῶν ἱστορία" (Latin: "Historia plantarum", "Enquiry into plants"). He gave it, and similar plants, the name λευκόἲον (λευκος, leukos "white" and ἰόν, ion "violet") from which the later name "Leucojum" was derived. He described the plant as "ἑπεἰ τοῖς γε χρώμασι λευκἂ καἱ οὐ λεπυριώδη" (in colour white and bulbs
Luzula nivalis ("to shine, sparkle") or the Latin "luzulae" or "luxulae", from "lux" ("light"), inspired by the way the plant's hairs sparkle when wet with dew. "Nivalis" is Latin for snowy, snow-covered or snow-like. The exact taxonomy of "Luzula nivalis" is a little confusing due to confusions over the naming of the taxon; the name "L. arctica" has frequently (though less occasionally in recent years) been applied this taxon, or it has been regarded as a separate species altogether. Elven et al. (2003) stated that "a number of authors (Hultén 1968, Böcher et al. 1968, Porsild and Cody 1980, Novikov 1990) have