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
Caladenia nivalis description was published in "Nuytsia". The specific epithet ("nivalis") is a Latin word meaning "snowy" or "of snow" referring to the bright white flowers of this species. The exotic spider orchid occurs between Cape Naturaliste and Moses Rock in the Jarrah Forest and Warren biogeographic regions where it grows in peppermint woodland, coastal heath and in granite crevices. "Caladenia nivalis" is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. Caladenia nivalis Caladenia nivalis, commonly known as the exotic spider orchid or crystalline spider orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of