Galanthus

Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis)

The snowdrops (Galanthus ) are a genus of plants of the Amaryllis family ( Amaryllidaceae ).

Naming

The botanical name Galanthus is derived from the Greek words gala for milk and anthos for flower. Other German common names are: milk flower, Pretty Girls February, Candlemas bells, Candlemas bells, Marie Candles, White Bald, snow - piercer, White Virgin, Spring bells.

Description

Snowdrop species are herbaceous perennial plants. This form Geophyten onions as outlasting. Two or - rarely - three parallel venation leaves are basal together.

Then the inflorescence is expelled with a long flower stem and only one bloom. Initially surrounded by a bract, the flowers and protects them from severe weather. Under favorable conditions the flower breaks through the vagina. Since the stem is built weak, reduces flowering and nods.

The fragrant, hermaphrodite, radiärsymmetrische flower consists (as in monocots usual) from the threefold petal circles. The perianth consists of three white free outer bloom cladding and three fused greenish white inner bloom cladding. The three inner bracts are much smaller than the three external and usually marked green. They are the characteristic of this genus. Two times three ogive- shaped stamens are close together. Three carpels are a inferior ovary fused with a white stamp and a capitate stigma. Pollination is by insects.

Flowers formula:

Are formed capsule fruits that contain 18 to 36 seeds. At the light brown seeds, 3.5 mm diameter, a large fleshy Nährkörper ( Elaiosom ) has grown. Since the stems limp falls to the ground after fruiting, ants can get to the seeds. You have a taste for the sessile on the seed Nährkörper and therefore carry the seeds to their construction. Along the way they eat the Nährkörper frequently and leave the actual seeds are ignored. Thus, they contribute to the wide spread of the snowdrop.

For the propagation of the plants also contribute also bulbils, so that often form dense clumps. These can be divided after flowering, while the plants are still green.

Occurrence

The home of the species is Europe and southwestern Asia, from Asia Minor to the Caucasus to the region around the Caspian Sea. Elsewhere, for example in North America, species are just wild. In England snowdrops are detected outside of the gardens until 1770. You probably feral from monastery gardens.

They occur in forest glades, meadows and deciduous forests and prefer moist and shady locations. They are often regarded as the first signs of spring and therefore often planted in parks and gardens. In the initial flowering phenology means the beginning of early spring.

Species

There are about 20 species in the genus snowdrops (Galanthus ):

  • Caucasian snowdrop (Galanthus alpinus SOSN. ), Origin: Caucasus and northeastern Turkey.
  • Rosebay snowdrops (Galanthus angustifolius Koss ), Origin: North Caucasus.
  • Cilicisches snowdrops (Galanthus cilicicus Baker), Origin: Central and Southern Anatolia.
  • Elwes snowdrops (Galanthus elwesii Hook f. ), Origin: Balkan Peninsula, southwestern Ukraine, Turkey.
  • Foster Snowdrop (Galanthus fosteri Baker), Origin: Central Anatolia, Syria and Jordan.
  • Delicate snowdrops (Galanthus gracilis Čelak. ), Origin: Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, southwestern Ukraine, western Anatolia.
  • Ikaria snowdrops (Galanthus ikariae Baker), Origin: the Aegean islands of Skyros, Andros, Naxos and Ikaria.
  • Koenen snowdrops (Galanthus koenenianus Lobin, CDBrickell & APDavis ), Origin: Northeast Anatolia.
  • Krasnov Snowdrop (Galanthus krasnovii Khokhr. ), Origin: Northeast Anatolia to Western Transcaucasia.
  • Lagodechi Snowdrop (Galanthus lagodechianus Kem. - Nath. ), Origin: Caucasus and Transcaucasia.
  • Snowdrop or ordinary snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis L.), Origin: Europe from the Pyrenees to the Ukraine.
  • Galanthus panjutinii Zubov & APDavis, Origin: Western Transcaucasia.
  • Peshmen Snowdrop (Galanthus peshmenii AP Davis & CD Brickell ), Origin: South Anatolia and the island belonging to Greece Megisti.
  • Broad-leaved snowdrops (Galanthus platyphyllus Traub & Moldenke ), Origin: Western and Central Caucasus.
  • Clusius snowdrops or sheet snowdrops (Galanthus plicatus M. Bieb. ), Origin: Romania, Crimea, Ukraine, northern Anatolia, north-western Caucasus.
  • Queen Olga Snowdrop (Galanthus reginae - olgae Orph. ), Origin: Northwest Sicily, northwestern and western Balkan peninsula.
  • Rizasee Snowdrop (Galanthus rizehensis Star), Origin: Northeast Anatolia, Western Caucasus
  • Caspian snowdrops or Trans Caucasian snowdrop (Galanthus transcaucasicus Fomin), Origin: South and East Transcaucasia, northern Iran.
  • Galanthus trojanus A. P. Davis & Özhatay, Origin: Turkey.
  • Voronov Snowdrop (Galanthus woronowii Losinsk. ), Origin: Western and Central Caucasus, North-East Anatolia.

Curative effect

Galantamine is used as a remedy for dementia, and to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

All plant parts, especially the onion, contain toxic alkaloids. Add the onion is mainly the Amaryllidaceae alkaloid, in other parts of plants Tazettin, galantamine and lycorine. A critical dose is not known.

Possible Symptoms of poisoning: It comes to salivate, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Occasionally circulatory disturbances are observed with sweating and dizziness.

Swell

Ovary (botany) Elaiosome Caucasus Mountains
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