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Galanthus nivalis

(Bucaneve)

Overview

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Near Threatened

Threat status

Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Click on the language to view common names.

Common Names in Dutch:

Sneeuwklokje

Common Names in English:

Bucaneve, Common Snowdrop, Flower of Hope, Snowdrop

Common Names in French:

Galantine d'Hiver, Niveole, Perceneige

Common Names in German:

Kleines Schneeglöckchen

Common Names in Romanian:

Ghiocei

Common Names in Spanish:

Flor de Nieve

Description

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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]

Physical Description

Species Galanthus nivalis

Plants to 7-20(-40) cm; bulbs 1.5-2.5 × 1-1.5(-2) cm. Leaves: vernation flat and parallel, remaining so within basal sheath ; blade linear to ligulate , 5-15 × 0.3-0.7 cm. Spathe 2-3.5 cm. Flowers: outer tepals white, oblong to broadly obovate , 1.5-2(-2.5) × 0.6-1.1 cm; inner tepals white with green blotch at apex only, narrowly obovate or oblong, 7-12 × 4-6 mm; anthers 3-5 mm; ovary 5-6 × 3-4 mm; style 6-8 mm; pedicel 1.2-3(-4) cm

Habit: Forb/herb

Flowers: Bloom Period: January, February. • Flower Color: near white, white

Size/Age/Growth

Size: 6-12" tall.

Habitat

Roadsides, open forests , abandoned gardens; 0--500 m [3].

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 2,632 meters (0 to 8,635 feet).[4]

Ecology: Most frequently occurring in moist conditions in deciduous woodland (Fagus silvatica, Quercus spp. , Carpinus spp. etc. ), and occasionally in coniferous woodland (Abies spp.). Also occurring in meadows, pasture, amongst scrub , near rivers and on stony slopes , particularly on calcareous soils. Galanthus nivalis is a cross pollinating plant, but sometimes self-pollination takes place. It is pollinated by bees. Seeds have elaiosomes which are eaten by ants and they carry seeds through underground tunnels, helping to distribute them.[5].

List of Habitats :

[more info]

Biology

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Reproduction

Duration: Perennial

Growth

Culture: Space 3-6" apart.

Soil: Minimum pH: 5.6 • Maximum pH: 7.5

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Sun to Partial Shade.

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b. (map)

Taxonomy

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Synonyms

Chianthemum nivaleGalanthus alexandriGalanthus imperatiGalanthus melvilleiGalanthus montanusGalanthus nivalisGalanthus Nivalis Sens • Galanthus scharlokiiGalanthus umbricus

Notes

Publishing author : Falk Publication : Beitr. ii. 156 There are over 50 synonyms for Galanthus nivalis and this is due to several reasons: it is a variable species and throughout its distribution a number of taxa have been named in an attempt to record this variation ; because of its long history in cultivation, a large number of taxa and cultivars have been recognised, leading to an even greater proliferation of names ; and before many other species had been described, most Galanthus were referred to or associated with G. nivalis, probably because it was the best known and most ubiquitous species (Davis 1999). (Ref. 273695).

Similar Species

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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)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 17, 2007:

Identifiers

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. "Galanthus nivalis". in Flora of North America Vol. 26 Page 277, 280. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  4. Mean = 112.760 meters (369.948 feet), Standard Deviation = 169.450 based on 7,150 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
  5. Crook, V. & Davis, A. 2011. Galanthus nivalis. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 01 February 2012. [back]
Last Revised: 7/15/2012