Galantamine sorceress Circe's drugs. It is believed that moly is the snowdrop "Galanthus nivalis", which is a source of galantamine. The descriptions of moly given by Greek physician and herbalist Dioscorides support moly's identity as "Galanthus nivalis". It has been proposed that the drugs Circe used were an extract from "Datura stramonium" (also known as jimsonweed), which causes memory loss and delirium. This would give a basis for the snowdrop's use as an antidote, as "Datura stramonium" is anticholinergic, while galantamine is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. Galantamine is indicated for the treatment of mild to moderate vascular dementia and Alzheimer's. In the
Luzula nivalis is the species's basionym and was used before "L. arctica". "Luzula nivalis" is a relatively small perennial herbaceous plant (or "herb") which grows to heights of between in a caespitose fashion. "L. nivalis "has fibrous roots and ascending rhizomes, older plants have vertical stems either at ground level or underground; the plant base is straw-brown/pale castaneous brown in colour. The plant is subglabrous with erect, aerial stems and numerous alternate basal leaves. These crowded leaves are marcescent, flat, remain for many years, usually up to long and wide." L. nivalis" also has 1–2 cauline leaves which are long; both leaf