Galanthus elwesii

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Monocots
Ordo: Asparagales

Familia: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamilia: Amaryllidoideae
Tribus: Galantheae
Genus: Galanthus
Series: Galanthus ser. Latifolii
Subseries: Galanthus subser. Glaucaefoli
Species: Galanthus elwesii
Varietates: G. e. var. elwesii – G. e. var. monostictus
Name

Galanthus elwesii Hook.f., 1875
Synonyms

Chianthemum elwesii (Hook.f.) Kuntze
Galanthus nivalis subsp. elwesii (Hook.f.) Gottl.-Tann.

Distribution
Native distribution areas:
References

Hooker, J.D., Botanical Magazine; or, Flower-Garden Displayed ... London 101: t. 6166. 1875, nom. cons.
USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. [1]

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2018. Galanthus elwesii in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2018 Jul. 30. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2018. Galanthus elwesii. Published online. Accessed: Jul. 30 2018.
The Plant List 2013. Galanthus elwesii in The Plant List Version 1.1. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2018 Jul. 30.
Tropicos.org 2018. Galanthus elwesii. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2018 Jul. 30.

Vernacular names
suomi: Tähtilumikello
magyar: Pompás hóvirág

Galanthus elwesii, Elwes's snowdrop or greater snowdrop, is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae, native to the Caucasus.

This herbaceous perennial plant grows to 20–25 cm (7.9–9.8 in) high. It grows from a globose bulb, 2–3 cm in diameter. It produces two leaves which are obtuse, linear, and blue-green in colour. The flowers are globose, white, pendulous, 2–3 cm long, and solitary at the tip of a solid, pointed scape. The outer floral tepals are oblanceolate, with shorter inner tepals that are emarginate (notched at the apex), tapering towards their base with green patches apically and basally (see illustrations). The fruit forms a dehiscent capsule with three valves. Overall Galanthus elwesii is a more robust plant than G. nivalis.[3][4][5][6]

Taxonomy

Galanthus elwesii was identified by the British botanist Henry John Elwes on a visit to Turkey in 1874. In early April, whilst in the mountains near Smyrna (modern Izmir), he came across "the fine large snowdrop which now bears my name". It was then formally described by Joseph Dalton Hooker (1875) and named Galanthus elwesii, with an illustration by W H Fitch in Curtis's Botanical Magazine. Thus the species bears his name as the botanical authority.[3][7] Later the plants collected by Elwes were found to be Galanthus gracilis, but the name was retained for a different specimen.[8][9]
Distribution

A native of the Caucasus in Europe, the species has been widely introduced elsewhere.
Cultivation

Galanthus elwesii is grown as an ornamental plant in gardens where it easily naturalises. Bulbs planted in the autumn flower in the early spring. Propagation is by separation of bulbils after flowering.[4][5]

In the UK, the following have received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:

Galanthus elwesii[10]
Galanthus elwesii 'Comet'[11]
Galanthus elwesii var. monostictus[12]

References

WCLSPF 2016, Galanthus
TPL 2013, G. elwesii
Hooker 1875.
Dimitri 1987.
Hessayon 1995.
MBG, G. elwesii
Tropicos, G. elwesii
Harland 2016.
Harvey 2000.
"Galanthus elwesii". RHS Plant Selector. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
"Galanthus elwesii 'Comet'". RHS Plant Selector. Retrieved 7 July 2020.

"Galanthus elwesii var. monostictus". RHS Plant Selector. Retrieved 7 July 2020.

Bibliography

Davis, Aaron (1999). The genus Galanthus. A Botanical Magazine monograph. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. ISBN 0-88192-431-8.
Harvey, M.J. (21 May 2000). "Davis: The genus Galanthus" (Book Review). Botanical Electronic News (250).
Dimitri, M (1987). Enciclopedia Argentina de Agricultura y Jardinería. Tomo I. Descripción de plantas cultivadas. Buenos Aires: Editorial ACME S.A.C.I. see Enciclopedia Argentina de Agricultura y Jardinería
Harland, Gail (2016). Snowdrop. London: Reaktion Books. ISBN 9781780236285.
Hessayon, D.G. (1995). The bulb expert (2003 ed.). London: Sterling Publishing Company (Expert Books). ISBN 9780903505420.
Hooker, Joseph Dalton (1875). "Galanthus elwesii". Curtis's Botanical Magazine. 31: 6166.
Yüzbaşıoğlu, Sırrı (2012). "Morphological variations of Galanthus elwesii in Turkey and difficulties on identification" (PDF). Bocconea. 24: 335–339.
"The Plant List: a working list of all known plant species. Version: 1.1". Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden. September 2013.
MBG. "Missouri Botanical Garden". Retrieved 7 October 2016.
"Tropicos". Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
"World Checklist of Selected Plant Families". The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 6 October 2016.