Galanthus reginae-olgae epithet "reginae-olgae" means 'of Queen Olga'; Olga Constantinovna of Russia was then Queen of Greece. The species (or when divided into subspecies, its autonymous subspecies) has been treated as "Galanthus nivalis" subsp. "reginae-olgae". Other regularly used synonyms include "G. olgae" and "G. corcyrensis". The name "Galanthus corcyrensis" has been particularly used for plants that flower in the autumn with the leaves rather than before them. The species has been divided into two subspecies, distinguished by the time of flowering: There is however no sharp division between these two subspecies. "Galanthus reginae-olgae" is native to Sicily and parts of the Balkans,
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