CRYOFLORA

also called Cryovegetation, or Cryophyte, algae that live in snow and ice. The well-known and widely distributed red snow (q.v.) is caused by Chlamydomonas and diatoms; brown snow by desmids, diatoms, and blue-green algae; green snow by Euglena and Chlamydomonas; yellow snow by Protoderma and blue-green algae; and black snow by Scotiella nivalis and Raphidonema.