Editing Galanthus (section)

==Distribution and habitat==
[[File:Distribution of the galanthus species.png|thumb|upright=2|right|Distribution map of ''Galanthus'' species in Europe and Western Asia]]
The genus ''Galanthus'' is native to Europe and the Middle East, from the Spanish and French [[Pyrenees]] in the west through to the [[Caucasus]] and [[Iran]] in the east, and south to [[Sicily]], the [[Peloponnese]], the [[Aegean islands|Aegean]], [[Turkey]], [[Lebanon]], and [[Wildlife of Syria|Syria]]. The northern limit is uncertain because ''G. nivalis'' has been widely [[introduced species|introduced]] and [[horticulture|cultivated]] throughout Europe.{{sfn|Ronsted et al.|2013}} ''G. nivalis'' and some other species valued as [[ornamental plants|ornamentals]] have become widely [[naturalisation (biology)|naturalised]] in Europe, North America, and other regions.<ref name=WCSP/>  In the Udmurt republic of Russia, ''Galanthus'' are found even above the 56th parallel.{{citation needed|date=April 2022}}

''Galanthus nivalis'' is the best-known and most widespread representative of the genus ''Galanthus''. It is native to a large area of Europe, stretching from the Pyrenees in the west, through France and Germany to Poland in the north, Italy, northern Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, and [[European Turkey]]. It has been introduced and is widely naturalised elsewhere.<ref name=Davisnivalis/> Although it is often thought of as a British native wild flower, or to have been brought to the British Isles by the Romans, it most likely was introduced around the early sixteenth century, and is currently not a protected species in the UK.<ref name="BDG_p17"/> It was first recorded as naturalised in the UK in [[Worcestershire]] and [[Gloucestershire]] in 1770.<ref name=Oakes/> Most other ''Galanthus'' species are from the eastern Mediterranean, while several are found in the [[Caucasus]], in southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.{{sfn|Bishop et al.|2001|loc=p.&nbsp;17–57}} ''Galanthus fosteri'' is found in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, and, perhaps, [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]].{{sfn|Bishop et al.|2001|loc=p.&nbsp;40}}

Most ''Galanthus'' species grow best in [[woodland]], in [[acid soil|acid]] or alkaline soil,{{sfn|Brickell|2011}} although some are [[grassland]] or mountain species.