POISONOUS PLANTS 281 



the latter species, Green Hellebore, is found, also on 

 chalk, in woods and hedges in many localities. 



The flowers, which are many in the case of H. 

 fcetidus and few with H. viridis, open early in the year 

 (February to March and March to April respectively). 

 They have no prominent petals ; what appears to be 

 the corolla is formed of the sepals, which are five in 

 number, and in //. viridis green and spreading, but in 

 H. fcetidus green tipped with dull purple, erect and 

 overlapping. The leaves are borne on long stalks, 

 and are divided into irregular palmate lobes. Both 

 species are perennial. The Christmas Rose (H. niger) 

 is a much esteemed cultivated species of Helleborus. 



Both species are powerful vegetable irritants, being 

 purgative and cathartic, the toxic principle being the 

 glucoside Helleborin. Fatal poisoning of human beings 

 has been recorded. The poison is not removed by 

 drying or boiling as in the case of Buttercups. Live 

 stock are unlikely to touch the plant or eat it in 

 sufficient quantity to cause serious results, yet animals 

 have been killed by it "cows have died from eating 

 the trimmings of the Fetid Hellebore mixed with other 

 herbage when thrown out from a shrubbery into the 

 field where they were" (Henslow). 



PAPAVERACE^ 



The Common Poppies (Papaver sp.), which are dealt 

 with from another standpoint at p. 53, are actively 

 toxic or narcotic, the worst species being P. somniferum 

 L. (the Opium Poppy). The common red Poppy 

 (P. Rhceas L.) is stated by Cornevin to be poisonous 

 in all its parts, and sufficiently so to occasion accidents 

 every year. The toxic principle consists of the alka- 

 loids Morphine and Rhceadine. Poisoning of domestic 



