Galanthus "Akrokorion"), he placed "Galanthus" in the family Liliaceae, section Narcissi. Lamarck provided a description of the genus in his encyclopedia (1786) and later "Illustrations des genres" (1793). In 1789 de Jussieu, who is credited with the modern concept of genera organised in families, placed "Galanthus" and related genera within a division of Monocotyledons, using a modified form of Linnaeus' sexual classification but with the respective topography of stamens to carpels rather than just their numbers. In doing so he restored the name "Galanthus" and retained their placement under Narcissi, this time as a family (known as "Ordo", at that time)
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