Editing Galanthus (section)

==== Early ====
[[File:Leucojum bulbosum praecox Gerard.jpg|thumb|''G. nivalis'' from [[John Gerard]]'s ''Herball'', 1597]]
Snowdrops have been known since early times, being described by the classical [[Greeks|Greek]] author [[Theophrastus]], in the fourth century BCE, in his ''Περὶ φυτῶν ἱστορία'' ([[Latin]]: ''Historia plantarum'', ''Enquiry into plants''). He gave it, and similar plants, the name λευκόἲον (λευκος, leukos "white" and ἰόν, ion "violet") from which the later name ''Leucojum'' was derived. He described the plant as "ἑπεἰ τοῖς γε χρώμασι λευκἂ καἱ οὐ λεπυριώδη" (in colour white and bulbs without scales)<ref name=HP134/> and of their habits "Ἰῶν δ' ἁνθῶν τὀ μἑν πρῶτον ἑκφαἱνεται τὁ λευκόἲον, ὅπου μἑν ό ἀἠρ μαλακώτερος εὐθὑς τοῦ χειμῶνος, ὅπου δἐ σκληρότερος ὕστερον, ἑνιαχοῡ τοῡ ἣρος" (Of the flowers, the first to appear is the white violet. Where the climate is mild, it appears with the first sign of winter, but in more severe climates, later in spring)<ref name=HP49/>

[[Rembert Dodoens]], a [[Flanders|Flemish]] botanist, described and illustrated this plant in 1583 as did [[John Gerard|Gerard]] in England in 1597 (probably using much of Dodoens' material), calling it ''Leucojum bulbosum praecox'' (Early bulbous violet). Gerard refers to Theophrastus's description as ''Viola alba'' or ''Viola bulbosa'', using [[Pliny the Elder|Pliny]]'s translation, and comments that the plant had originated in Italy and had "taken possession" in England "many years past".<ref name=Gerard/> The [[genus]] was formally named ''Galanthus'' and described by [[Carl Linnaeus]] in 1753,<ref name=Linnaeus/> with the single [[species]], ''[[Galanthus nivalis]]'', which is the [[type (biology)|type]] species. Consequently, Linnaeus is granted the [[botanical authority]]. In doing so, he distinguished this genus and species from ''[[Leucojum]]'' (''Leucojum bulbosum trifolium minus''), a name by which it previously had been known.<ref name=WCSP/><ref name=APW/><ref name=Churchgal/>