Galanthus 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 plants have two linear leaves and a single small white drooping bell shaped flower with six petal-like (petaloid) tepals in two circles (whorls). The smaller inner petals have green markings. Snowdrops have been known since the earliest times under various names but were named "Galanthus" in 1753. As the number of recognised species increased various attempts were made to divide the species into subgroups, usually on the basis of the pattern of the emerging
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