Snowdrop (Galanthus), a genus of plants of the natural order Amaryllidæ, of the same tribe with Amaryllis, Snowflake, Crium, &c. The three outer segments of the perianth spread, so as to make a bell-shaped flower; the three inner are shorter, erect, and notched at the summit. The flowers arise from a spathe. The root is bulbous, and produces two leaves and one single-flowered leafless stem (scape). The Common Snowdrop (G. nivalis), a plant too well known to need description, is a native chiefly of the south of Europe, growing in woods and pastures. It is found apparently wild in some places both in England and Scotland, but is probably rather naturalised than native, having long been much cultivated in gardens. This welcome harbinger of spring flowers usually in Britain in February and March. Another species of snowdrop (G. plicatus), with much broader leaves, is found in the south of Russia and in Asiatic Turkey.
