ERANTHIS hyeinalis 

 Winter Aconite. 



Class and Order. — Polyandria Polygynia. 

 Syn. Eranthis hyeinalis. Salisbury, Lin. Soc. Trans. Vol. 8. p. 303. 

 Helleborus hyemalis. Curt. Bot. Mag. Vol. I. p. 3. 



Root tuberous — leaves radical, on long petioles, radiated, palmate, lobes 

 generally trifid— scape radical, one flowered — involucrum sessile, lobed, 

 becoming larger when the flower decays — corolla yellow^ — petals six, or 

 sometimes more, obovate, nectaries tubular, stamens from twenty to 

 thirty — anthers compressed — styles many. 



The genus Erauthis, which was established by Salisbury, differs from 

 Helleborus in the number of its petals and stamens, the latter in 

 Eranthis are fi-om twenty to thirty, in Helleborus, from thirty to 

 sixty ; the seed in the former genus being in one series, the latter in 

 two series, the difference of habit, &c., altogether forming good grounds 

 for making them separate genera. Tliis pretty species which flowers 

 about January is a native of France, Switzerland, and Austria, and 

 was cultivated in our gardens as long since as 1596 ; — it grows best 

 in a light loam mixed with bog, and is propagated by offsets. There 

 is another species Eranthis Siberica. 



PI. 53. 



