Galanthus (snowdrop; Greek gála "milk", ánthos "flower") is a small genus of about 20 species of bulbous perennial herbaceous plants in the family Amaryllidaceae. The plants have two linear leaves and single small white drooping flowers with six petal-like (petaloid) tepals in two circles (whorls). The smaller inner petals have green markings. Snowdrops have been known since the earlist times but were named Galanthus in 1753. As the number of recognised species increased various attempts were made to divide the species into subgroups, usually on the basis of the pattern of emerging leaves (vernation). In the era of molecular phylogenetics ths has been shown to be unreliable and now seven clades are recognised corresponding to biogeographical distribtion. New species continue to e discovere