Tas. 4581. 
HELLEBORUS «atro-rvuBEns. 
Dark-purple-lowered Hellebore. 
Nat. Ord. RANUNCULACE®.—POLYANDRIA PENTAGYNIA. 
Gen. Char. Calyx persistens, 5-sepalus, sepalis subrotundis obtusis magnis 
sepe viridibus. Petala 8-10, brevissima, tubulata, inferne angustiora, nectarifera. 
Stamina 30-60. Ovaria 3-10. Stigmata terminalia orbiculata. Capsula co- 
riacea. Semina duplici serie disposita, elliptica, umbilicata. De Cand. 
HELLEBORUS atro-rubens; foliis radicalibus glaberrimis pedatisectis subtus 
pallidioribus nitidis, caulinis subsessilibus pinnatipartitis, caule subangu- 
lato bifide ramoso, sepalis subrotundis coloratis. De Cand. 
HELLEBORUS atro-rubens. Waldst. et Kit. Pl. Rar. Hung. v.3. p.301. ¢. 271. 
De Cand. Prodr. v.1. p.47. Spreng. Syst. Veget. v.2. p.659. Reichend. 
Ie. Fl. Germ. t.110. 
A really handsome and hardy herbaceous flowering plant, 
blossoming when flowers are more especially welcome visitors, in 
February and March. The blossoms are large, spreading, at 
first rather a dark purple (hardly dark enough to justify the 
name atro-rubens), gradually changing to green as the fruit ad- 
vances to maturity. It inhabits woods and bushy places in the 
mountain districts of Croatia, and is especially abundant about 
Korenicz. ' : 
Descr. Root a branched tuber or cormus, throwing down 
very numerous long jiéres. Stem erect, herbaceous, dichoto- 
mously branched, glabrous, obsoletely angular. : Root-leaves 
coming to perfection after the flowers, pedate, shining, the lobes 
lanceolate, reticulated, finely serrated, shining, paler beneath. 
Stem-leaves with a sheathing base, almost sessile, less divided : 
uppermost ones or dracteas at length lanceolate, undivided. Pe- 
duncles mostly terminal and two-flowered. Sepals broad ovate, 
almost rotundate, spreading, dull but rather dark red-purple, per- 
sistent and changing to dull pale brownish-green. Petals wedge- 
shaped, a short compressed tube, open at the mouth. Stamens 
MAY Ist, 1851. 
