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Galanthus reginae-olgae

(Snowdrop)

Overview

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Vulnerable

Threat status

Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Snowdrop

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

Flowers: Bloom Period: October, November, December. • Flower Color: near white, white

Size/Age/Growth

Size: under 6" tall.

Habitat

Ecology:  

Galanthus reginae-olgae is found in a variety of habitats , such as stunted woodland, deciduous woodland, amongst rocks and scrub , near streams on sloping ground , and in river valleys and gorges . It is most abundant at higher altitudes , around 1,000 m. Like other species from southern Europe, most of these habitats provide suitable micro-environments in areas otherwise unsuitable for a predominately woodland plant. This species seems to prefers limestone substrate (Phitos et al. 1995; Davis, 1999). The populations in Sicily are found on rocky outcrops in an oak forest .

[3].

List of Habitats:

Biology

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Growth

Culture: Space 3-6" apart.

Soil: Minimum pH: 5.6 • Maximum pH: 7.5

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Partial to Full Shade.

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b. (map)

Taxonomy

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Notes

Publishing author : T.G.Orphanides Publication : Atti Congr. Internaz. Bot. Firenze 1874: 214 (1876) 1876

 

Galanthus reginae-olgae is closely related to G. nivalis, and for many years was considered to be a subspecies of the latter. Both species have applanate (flat) vernation , narrow linear leaves, and a single green mark at the apex of each inner perianth segment, which is often the same shape . Despite the similarities between these two species there are obvious differences, including flowering time, leaf length (at flowering), and leaf colour. Galanthus reginae-olgae is predominantly autumn- to early winter-flowering, whereas G. nivalis is late winter- to early spring-flowering; these differences persist in cultivation. The leaves of G. reginae-olgae are either absent at the onset of flowering or are only about 2–3 cm long (excluding G. reginae-olgae subsp. vernalis: see below), in contrast to those of G. nivalis which are always several centimetres long at flowering time. The upper leaf surface of G. reginae-olgae has a conspicuous glaucous (greyish to grey) stripe running down the middle of the leaf. There is sometimes a greyish stripe on the leaf of G. nivalis, but it is never as obvious as that of G. reginae-olgae and is often absent. The upper leaf surface of G. reginae-olgae is usually a darker green than G. nivalis, which makes the grey median stripe more pronounced. The under surface of the leaf is usually lighter in colour (whitish grey) than G. nivalis (pale grey). Galanthus reginae-olgae is divided into two subspecies: ssp. reginae-olgae and ssp. vernalis. These two subspecies are separated on flowering time, and leaf length at the onset of flowering (Davis 1999, 2001).

[3].

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 January 04, 2008:

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. Davis, A. 2011. Galanthus reginae-olgae. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 01 February 2012. [back]
Last Revised: 2012-07-21