AMARYLLIDACEiE. 167 



SPECIES I— GAL ANT HUS NIVALIS. Unn. 



Plate MDVII. 



'Ri-kh. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. IX. Tab. CCCLXIII. 

 Billui, n. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. 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 Hiberiiica " do not consider it thoroughly naturalised in 

 Ireland. 



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, 

 liiiear-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, '6 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 Leucojura vernum. Pedicels 

 slendei', 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 Avith 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- 

 cojura, but with a much longer point. Scape lying on the ground 

 when in fruit. Fruit herbaceous, f 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, Gemelnes Schiieeglochchen. 



The poetical associations which surround the appearance of this pretty little flower 

 are numerous and popular. The German name, literally " Snowball," is very sug- 

 gestive ; aud Mrs. Barbauld's pretty image is worth recalling : — 



