The Snowdrop. 345 



"vvas given by Mr F. W. Burbidge, M.A., the Curator of Trinity 

 College Botanic Gardens, Dublin. I must draw largely from his 

 •work, supplemented by what has been discovered since the date of 

 that conference, and by my own observation of all the species 

 but one in my own garden, besides the cultivation of a number 

 of the hybrids and seedling varieties. Mr Burbidge's arrange- 

 ment in 1 89 1 was founded upon the character of the leaves, and, 

 although Mr Baker puts more stress upon the green markings 

 upon the flowers as a guide to the systematic arrangement, I 

 <;annot but hold that Mr Burbidge's is the more satisfactory 

 ■division of the main groups. 



Mr Burbidge classed the Snowdrops as: — i. Those with 

 narrow, glaucous leaves, such as those of our common Snowdrop, 

 •G. nivalis. 2. Those with broadly plaited glaucescent leaf, 

 •such as G. plicatus. 3. Those with broad lorate green leaves, 

 ■such as G. latifolius. 



Those who have studied the flowers in growth are disposed 

 -to agree with Mr Burbidge in thinking that these three species 

 may be said to be the backbone of the genus, and that all others 

 are either variations or hybrids of these three. I shall return to 

 -the leaves again, after beginning with what is the proper and most 

 symmetrical starting point — the bulb. 



The bulb of the Snowdrop is what is known as a true bulb, 

 as distinguished from a cormous or other form of root, by being 

 composed of a number of scales united together. Like the 

 leaves, the bulbs of Snowdrops group themselves into three 

 ■divisions, which may be readily distinguished when in bulk by 

 their form. Thus Galanthus nivalis has ovoidal, or egg-shaped 

 iDulbs; G. plicatus has rhomboidal, or short-spindle shaped ones; 

 and G. Elwesii has rounded, or, sometimes, oblate spheroidal 

 ■ones. They are all variable in size, so that it is hardly safe to 

 «tate the dimensions to which they grow. 



If a section of a Snowdrop bulb is made, it will be found 

 that it is composed of the swollen bases or petioles of two, three, 

 or more of its former leaves, arranged eccentrically around the 

 new growth. The inner faces of two of these scales are fluted in 

 a pretty manner, and covered with a fine membrane. 



The leaves have already been referred to, and it is unneces- 

 sary to say much more about them at present, especially as we 

 shall have to touch upon them in speaking of the various species. 



