Galanthus gracilis

• Interesting Facts
• Common Names
• Description
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Interesting Facts

Common Names

Description

Family Amaryllidaceae

Herbs perennial , rarely shrubby or treelike, often with bulbs, corms, rhizomes, or tubers. Leaves basal or cauline, often narrow, margin entire or spiny . Inflorescence a terminal spike, umbel, raceme , panicle, or flowers solitary. Flowers bisexual , actinomorphic or zygomorphic, usually subtended by 1 to several spathaceous involucres. Perianth segments 6, in 2 whorls, free or connate to form a short tube , with or without a corona . Stamens 6, inserted at perianth throat or at base of segments; filaments sometimes basally connate; anther dorsifixed or basifixed , mostly introrse . Ovary inferior, 3-loculed; ovules few to many per locule; placentation axile . Style slender; stigma capitate or 3-lobed. Fruit a capsule, usually loculicidal, sometimes dehiscing irregularly, rarely a berry. Seeds with endosperm.

More than 100 genera and 1200 species: tropical , subtropical , and temperate regions worldwide; ten genera and 34 species (14 endemic, four introduced ) in China.[1]

Genus Galanthus

Herbs, perennial , scapose , from brown, tunicate , ovoid to globose bulbs; offset bulbs often present. Leaves 2(-3), basal, opposite, with sheathing blade , vernation flat and parallel, or convolute; nonsheathing blade erect to recurving at maturity, grayish green, linear-oblanceolate, glaucous; sheathing blade white, tubular , membranous, enclosing leaf bases and scape. Scape erect in flower, prostrate in fruit, green, solid. Inflorescences pendulous, 1-flowered, spathaceous ; spathe bracteate , membranous; bracts 2, connate , split on 1 side. Flowers nodding , fragrant; perianath 2.5 cm or shorter; tepals 6, distinct , unequal; outer tepals spreading , white, narrowly obovate to almost orbicular , larger than inner; inner tepals overlapping, appearing tubular, green-spotted at apex only or apex and base, straight to semiorbicular, apex notched ; stamens 6, inserted at bases of tepals, distinct; anthers basifixed , longer than filaments , bases lobed , apices tapered, dehiscense introrse , via terminal slits; ovary inferior, green, 3-locular, globose, septal nectaries present; style, white, unbranched, filiform ; stigma indistinct to minutely capitate; pedicel wiry, short, slender. Fruits capsular , green, globose, fleshy , dehiscence loculicidal. Seeds 18-36, light brown, 3.5 mm, oblong to obtuse , elaiosomes fleshy. x = 12.

Species 14-17: introduced ; Europe, sw Asia (Asia Minor , Iranian Caucasus, and Caspian Sea regions) ; introduced and naturalized elsewhere.

A number of Galanthus species, especially G. nivalis, are commonly cultivated for their late- winter and early-spring flowers, which emerge through the snow. Species of Galanthus are sometimes confused with Leucojum, snowflakes, a spring-flowering relative. The plants of Leucojum are usually taller, bear 2-3 flowers per stem, and their tepals are all equal.[2]

Habitat

Biome: Terrestrial [3].

Ecology: Galanthus gracilis is a spring-flowering snowdrop of woods and scrub communities. It occurs in a variety of habitats : pine, beach , oak, cedar forests , scrub and clearings within vegetation (Davis 1999). In Ukraine, it grows in oak, ash, maple, elm, poplar forests, in steppe ravines , in scrub communities and in cultivated forest of Robinia pseudoacacia (Melnyk et al. 2007).[3].

List of Habitats:

•     1     Forest   
  
•     1.4     Forest - Temperate   
  
•     3     Shrubland   
  
•     3.4     Shrubland - Temperate   
  
•     3.8     Shrubland - Mediterranean-type Shrubby Vegetation   
[more info]

Taxonomy

Synonyms

Galanthus reflexus

Notes

Publishing author : Celak. Publication : Sitzungsber. K?nigl. B?hm. Ges. Wiss. (1891) i. 195 t. 9; Velen, Fl. Bulg. (1891) 539.

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Comment: nom. cons.

Last scrutiny: 06-Jan-2005

 

This species is commonly associated with a number of other taxa, and particularly G. graecus and G. elwesii. Some have placed G. gracilis into the synonymy of G. graecus, while others have considered it synonymous with G. elwesii. Available taxonomic data now clearly shows that G. gracilis is a distinct species. Galanthus gracilis and G. elwesii are undoubtedly closely related, but they can be easily distinguished from one another by the type of vernation (the position of the leaves when they are in bud), which is applanate (leaves flat against each other) and supervolute (one leaf encircling the other), respectively. Other distinguishing characteristics, which are reliable but not totally discrete for each species, are the width of the leaves and the general dimensions of the plant: G. gracilis usually has narrow leaves and is generally of smaller dimensions than G. elwesii. The leaves of G. gracilis are frequently twisted but they can also be straight (Davis 1999, 2001).

The confusion between G. gracilis and G. elwesii is especially critical in their European ranges , and at the present time their exact distributions are poorly understood. Molecular studies are currently being undertaken with the aim of addressing these problems and questions concerning species delimitation.[3].

Similar Species

Members of the genus Galanthus

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 35 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:

G. byzantinus (Snowdrop) · G. corcyrensis (Snowdrop) · G. elewesii (Giant Snowdrop) · G. elwesii (Greater Snowdrop) · G. gracilis (Snowdrop) · G. ikariae (Snowdrop) · G. ikariae 'Lady Beatrix Stanley' (Snowdrop) · G. nivalis (Bucaneve) · G. nivalis f. pleniflorus (Common Snowdrop) · G. nivalis nivalis (Common Snowdrop) · G. nivalis 'Blewbury Tart' (Snowdrop) · G. nivalis 'Flore Pleno' (Double Common Snowdrop) · G. nivalis 'Lady Elphinstone' (Snowdrop) · G. nivalis 'Pewsey Vale' (Snowdrop) · G. nivalis 'Scharlockii Group' (Donkeys Ears Snowdrops) · G. nivalis 'Virescens' (Snowdrop) · G. nivalis 'Warei' (Snowdrop) · G. nivalis 'White Dream' (Snowdrop) · G. plicatus (Pleated Snowdrop) · G. plicatus 'Bill Clarke' (Pleated Snowdrop) · G. plicatus 'Colossus' (Pleated Snowdrop) · G. plicatus 'Sophie North' (Pleated Snowdrop) · G. plicatus 'Trym' (Pleated Snowdrop) · G. plicatus 'Wendy's Gold' (Wendy's Gold Pleated Snowdrop) · G. reginae-olgae (Snowdrop) · G. woronowii (Snowdrop) · G. 'Atkinsii' (Snowdrop) · G. 'Augustus' (Snowdrop) · G. 'Ketton' (Snowdrop) · G. 'Magnet' (Snowdrop) · G. 'Maidwell L' (Snowdrop) · G. 'Ophelia' (Snowdrop) · G. 'Sam Arnott' (Snowdrop) · G. 'Straffan' (Snowdrop) · G. 'Viridapice' (Snowdrop)

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Further Reading

• Bulletin of miscellaneous information. Additional Series. Royal Gardens, Kew. 4 1900 [Kew, Surrey: Royal Botanic Gardens], 1898-1936; url p. 186.
• Catalogue of scientific papers (1800-1900) Comp. by the Royal society of London. Cambridge, C. J. Clay and sons, 1867-1902; url p. 121.
• Catalogue of scientific papers, 1800-1900. Compiled by the Royal Society of London. London, C.J. Clay and Sons, 1867-1902 [etc.] Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1914-25. url p. 121.
• Checklist of CITES Species CITES, WCMC url p. 289.
• Checklist of CITES Species: a reference to the appendices to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora CITES url p. 293, p. 294.
• Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats. Standing Committee. Revision of Appendix 1. Species conservation summaries: non-endemic species and endemics for Austria, Germany, Hungary, Norway Council of Europe url p. 21.
• Garden and forest; a journal of horticulture, landscape art and forestry. New York: The Garden and forest publishing co., 1888-97. url p. 280.
• Taxonomic literature: a selective guide to botanical publications and collections with dates, commentaries and types (TL2) Utrecht: Bohn, Scheltema & Holkema, 1976-1988. url p. 17, p. 559.
• Trade in bulbs. Phase 1: report IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre url p. 39.
• Qian Xiao-hu, Chen Sing-chi, Hsu Yin, Hu Zhi-bi, Huang Xiu-lan & Fan Quan-jin. 1985. Amaryllidaceae. In: Pei Chien & Ting Chih-tsun, eds., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 16(1): 1--42.
• Davis, A. P. 1999. The Genus Galanthus. Portland.
• Stern, F. C. 1956. Snowdrops and Snowflakes -- A Study of the Genera Galanthus and Leucojum. London.
• Yeo, P. F. 1975. The hybrid origin of some cultivated snowdrops (Galanthus-Amaryllidaceae). Baileya 19: 157-162.

Notes

Contributors

• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 11, 2012.
• Davis, A. 2011. Galanthus gracilis. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloadedon 01February2012.
• IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. . Downloaded on January 28, 2012.

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 5784480
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Kew-307547
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 14986256
• Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:64482-1
• International Plant Names Index (IPNI) ID: 64482-1
• IUCN ID: 210320
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 740819

Footnotes

1. Zhanhe Ji & Alan W. Meerow "Amaryllidaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 24 Page 264. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
2. Gerald B. Straley  & Frederick H. Utech "Galanthus". in Flora of North America Vol. 26 Page 55, 280, 293. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
3. Davis, A. 2011. Galanthus gracilis. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 01 February 2012. [back]

©2004-2012 David Stang. All rights reserved.