Red Snow

Red Snow, an unicellular alga belonging to the order Protococcacese, which contains a considerable proportion of red colouring-matter, and covers large tracts of snow in arctic or alpine regions in very short spaces of time. It is variously known as Protococcus, Palmella, and Chlamydomonas, nivalis. Its cells are about -004 millimetre in diameter, and may contain some chlorophyll in addition to their red pigment palmellm. By absorbing the heat rays this plant seems to bring about the melting of the snow. One allied form (P. cruenta) occurs at the base of damp walls, and another (P.prodigiosa) on bread, meat, etc.