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
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary President George H. W. Bush authorized Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary as the 10th National Marine Sanctuary on January 17, 1992. Stetson Bank was added to the sanctuary in 1996. The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary administrative offices and laboratories are located in a renovated historic building, a part of the former Fort Crockett, in Galveston, Texas. Research Vessel MANTA is also located in Galveston, and provides a working platform for researchers. A system of mooring buoys, which reduces resource impacts from anchoring, is maintained by FGBNMS staff. Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary The Flower Garden Banks