AMARYLLIDACEZ. 167 
SPECIESI-GALANTHUS NIVALIS. Liu. 
Prate MDVII. 
Reich. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. IX. Tab. CCCLXIII. 
Billot, Fl. Gall. et Germ. Exsice. No. 1076. 
The only known species. 
In pastures, meadows, and orchards, in many places in England and 
Scotland, perfectly naturalised, and possibly native in some of the 
English stations, as at the base of the Herefordshire Beacon, near 
Little Malvern; and near Wrexham, Denbigh. The authors of the 
“Cybele Hibernica” do not consider it thoroughly naturalised in 
Treland. 
England, [Scotland, Ireland?]. Perennial. Early Spring. 
Bulb flowering when about the size of a small hazel-nut. Leaves 
and scape enclosed in 1 or 2 truncate scarious sheaths. Leaves 2, 
linear-lorate, appearing at the close of winter, along with or after the 
flowers, glaucous, with a furrow down the middle above and a keel 
beneath; edges not revolute when young, in the British form. Scape 
longer than the leaves when in flower, 3 inches to 1 foot high. Spathe 
slender, bilobed at the apex, with an herbaceous strip running down 
from the middle of each lobe as in Leucojum vernum. Pedicels 
slender, shorter than the scape or exceeding it. Flower drooping, always 
solitary; outer perianth segments elliptical-oblanceolate, narrowed to- 
wards the base, obtuse, concave, pure white, ¢ to 1 inch long, at first 
erect, afterwards spreading; the three inner segments half the length of 
the outer, erect, obovate-oblong, notched, and with 2 rounded lobes at 
the apex, white with a bilobed green spot immediately below the 
apex, the exterior margin of which is parallel to the two rounded 
apical lobes of the petal. Anthers yellow, similar to those of Leu- 
cojum, but with a much longer point. Scape lying on the ground 
when in fruit. Fruit herbaceous, # inch long, oblong-ovoid. Seeds 
about the size of hemp seed, ovoid, with an enlarged chalaza and a soft 
yellowish-white testa. 
The Galanthus plicatus or Crimean snowdrop of the nurseries is a 
well-marked subspecies, from south-eastern Europe and Asia Minor, 
larger in all its parts, distinguished by the leaves having revolute edges 
when young, and the apical lobes of the petal being less rounded. 
Common Snowdrop 
French, Perce-neige des Parisiens. German, Gemeines Schneeglickchen. 
The poetical associations which surround the appearance of this pretty little flower 
are numerous and popular. The German name, literally “ Snowbell,” is very sug- 
gestive ; and Mrs. Barbauld’s pretty image is worth recalling :— 
