A small perennial plant with a membranous bulb (up to 3 cm in diameter) surrounded by brownish scales. It develops two basal leaves; the leaves are long (20–25 cm), linear. The flower stalk is the same length as the leaves and bears a single drooping flower. The perianth is simple, white, with six tepals of varying sizes (unlike Leucojum, where all six tepals are the same size). The three outer tepals are longer and oval-egg-shaped, while the three inner ones are shorter and have green tips.
It blooms in early spring. In its wild form, it is found only in the foothill forests of the Western Caucasus. Bulbs are harvested to obtain alkaloids. The alkaloid content ranges from 0.5% to 1.38%. Several alkaloids have been isolated, the main one being galantamine. Other alkaloids, such as galanthine and galantidine, have no medical significance. Of theoretical interest is the biochemical kinship of plants, as evidenced by the identity of galantidine with lycorine.
Galantamine hydrobromide is an anticholinesterase drug. Its action is similar to eserine and prostigmine but is less toxic. It is used to treat myasthenia, poliomyelitis, polyneuritis, radiculitis, and other conditions. Galantamine aids in restoring movement in affected muscles. It is produced in ampoules containing 1 ml of 0.1%, 0.25%, 0.5%, and 1% solutions; prescribed in doses of 0.5 ml, adjusted according to age and therapeutic effect.
In Bulgaria, a similar preparation is produced under the name Nivalin from Galanthus nivalis L. The demand for galantamine is so high that two additional genera of the Amaryllidaceae family, which also contain galantamine, are now used in its production.