274 



J 



THE root IS percnn 



about 



an inch thick 



lly white, and befet with many ftr 



g 



fib 



res 



ally brown 



the ftalk 



thick, ftrong, round, upright, hairy, and ufually rifes four feet 



height : the leaves are numerous, vej 



IS 



in 



y large, oval, entire, ribbed 

 plaited, without footftalks,^of a yellowifh green colour, and furround 



ai*e both hermaphrodite and male 



ery long 



bafe 



th 



ilem 

 of a greenifh 

 branched terminal fpikes 



flowei 



and appear from June to Augufl 



\ 



th 



hermaphrodite flowers are without 



alyces : the corolla confifls of fix petals, which are oblong 



fhaped, veined, perfift 



of a pale green 



the filament 



fix, clofely furroundiug the 



germens, fhorter than the corolla, 



d 



terminated by quadrangular antherse : the germens are three in each 

 flower, erea, oblong, ending in fhort hairy llyles, which are crowned 



with flat fpread 

 preffed, ered: 



ftigmata 



the 



pfi 



celled 



oblong comprefTed membran 

 thefe only in wanting the g 



opening inwardly 



are th 

 and 



oblong 



com 



g many 



The male flowers differ from 



1 his plant is a native of Italy, Switzerland, Auflria, and RulTia: 

 firft cultivation in this country is afcribed to Gerard, and of courfe 



"w^as previous to the y 



596 



The Ex^£/3, 



our Flelleborus albu 



of the Greek writers is by many fuppofed 



be 



b 



this opinion, like many others refped 



ing the identity of the ancient nomenclature of plants with that of 

 the modern. Teems drawn rather from the fimilarity of their efFeds 



fro 



m an agreement in their botanical defcrip 



upon the body, th 



tions. This will evidently appear upon comparing the 



figured with the defcription given by Diofcorides :* and yetOeoifroy 



here 



fay 



(( 



noflro fatis apte 



Apud Diofcoridem hellebori albi defcriptio, veratro albo 



^' __^_ !^"a 



H 



nigrlora, & 



quibus convolvitur abdicat cum arefcere incipit. 



fert Plantaglnls aut Bete fylveflris fimilia, fed brevlora, 



caulem palmi altitudine, concavum ; qui quidem tunicas 



fibratae, ab exiguo & 

 citur in montofis Sc afperi 



the plant, thongh imperfed 



Diofc 



xeuntes, eldemque annexae- 



Naf- 



M. M. L. iv. c. 150. This defcript 



of 



*^ 



the only one given by the 



Mat, Med vol it, p. 6S 



The 



^ 



