212 



with .nature Students 



purpurascens ; it shows very plainly the curious con- 

 struction which is common to all hellebore flowers. 

 What we should naturally call. the petals are really 

 the leaves of the calyx called sepals which do not 

 fall off, but after a time become of a greenish hue, 

 and share in the work of leaves by helping to nourish 

 the plant. Instead of petals we find tubular nectaries 

 filled with honey, which are situated between 



PURPLE HELLEBORE 

 (Showing honey-glands). 



the sepals and the stamens. These tubes are 

 attractive to bees from the sweet though poisonous 

 liquid they contain, and in thus rifling the nectaries 

 they brush the pollen on to the stigma and fertilise 

 the flower. 



It seems strange that the Christmas rose with 

 its snowy flowers should be called black hellebore, 

 but it is so named from its dark root-stock and black 

 fibres. 



