ctAss XIII. ORDER ii.j helleborus. 773 



Capsules ovate oblong spreading follicles, of a coriaceous texture, one 

 celled, bursting laterally. Seeds numerous, oval, polished, attached to 

 the edges of the capsules. 



Habitat. — On the rocky cliffs of the Steep Holmes, in the Severn, 

 and said to have been found on a rabbit-warren, about two miles from 

 Gravesend. 



Perennial ; flowering in May and June. 



The Pseonia was highly esteemed by the ancient Greeks, respecting 

 which they had many superstitious motions ; they thought it to be a 

 flower of Divine origin, and to have emanated from the moon, and that 

 it shone during the night ! They believed also that it had the power 

 of averting tempests, and protecting their harvests from injury, 

 driving away evil spirits, &c. From which superstitions it is probable 

 has arisen and been handed down to modern times, the belief that what 

 are called " anodyne necklaces," which are slill sold in the shops, and 

 turned out of the dried roots of the Paeony, will prevent convu?sions in 

 children, and render the cutting of their teeth easier. The roots, 

 flowers, and seeds of P. officinalis, were formerly esteemed as useful in 

 the cure of epilepsy; but are not now considered to possess any active 

 medicinal properties. Paeonies, of which there are about sixteen known 

 species, are more esteemed for their handsome flowers than for any 

 curative virtues : some of them are very large, and extremely beauti- 

 ful, and flourish well on warm borders, or under hand-glasses. 



GENUS XIII. HELLE'BORUS—LiNN. Hellebore. 

 Nat. Ord. Ranuncula'ce^. De Cand. 



Gen. Char. Calyx persistent, of five pieces. Petals eight to ten, 

 small, tubular, bilabiate, nectariferous. Capsules two to six, one 

 celled, many seeded.— Name sXXs^opog, from its poisonous pro- 

 perties when eaten. 

 1. H. vi'ridisy Linn. (Fig. 879.) Green Hellebore. Stem few 

 flowered, sub simple; radical leaves pedate, on channeled footstalks, 

 the cauline ones sub-sessile, below rugose, with prominent veins • 

 stigmas erect. 



English Botany, t. 200.— English Flora, vol. iii. p. 58.— Hooker, 

 British Flora, ed. 4. vol. i. p. 215.— Lindley, Synopsis, p. 12. 



Root fleshy, with numerous long stout spreading fibres. Stem erect, 

 round, smooth, simple below, and leafless, forked above, with a leaf 

 from the base of the branches, sessile, or on a footstalk of greater or 

 less length. Leaves large, seldom more than two or three from the 

 base of the stem, on long round slightly channeled footstalks, downy 

 towards the top, pedate, with the lateral lobes two or three cleft, with 

 lanceolate segments, the margins sharply and unequally serrated, dark 



5 H 



