GREEN HELLEBORE 13 



The fruits of Goldielocks are dispersed by the wind, and the 

 achenes are downy and adapted for wind dispersal. 



This plant is partly a humus-loving plant requiring a humus soil, 

 derived from ordinary humus, and grows best in peaty loam, being 

 found on Precambrian, Carboniferous, Triassic, and Liassic rock soils. 



Peronospora ficarice is a fungus which infests this plant. It flowers 

 early, and no insects feed on it. 



The name auricomus is from the Latin aurum, gold, and coma, hair. 



Goldielocks is called Buttercup, Wood Crow-foot, Goldylocks. 



ESSENTIAL SPECIFIC CHARACTERS: 



7. Ranunculus auricomus, L. Leaves divided, radical leaves reni- 

 form, 3-7-partite, flowers yellow, petals 3-7, usually imperfect, petals 

 with nectary without a scale smooth, carpels downy, receptacle tuber- 

 culate. 



Green Hellebore (Helleborus viridis, L.) 



No seeds of the Green Hellebore have been found in a fossil con- 

 dition. It is a plant of the Warm Temperate Zone of \V. and Central 

 Europe, ranging from Holland southwards, but is not found in Russia. 

 It has been introduced into the United States of America. It is found 

 in South England, in S. and N. Somerset, Dorset, Hants, Sussex, 

 East Kent, Surrey, Essex, Herts, Bucks, Carnarvon, Flint, Gloucs, 

 W. Lanes, York, Durham, Northumberland, and Westmorland. Else- 

 where it is regarded as only introduced. It is often naturalized. 

 Watson calls it a denizen. 



The Bear's Foot or Green Hellebore is a woodland plant, being 

 fond of copses of hazel, and other types of thicket in the south and 

 east of England, chiefly on chalk soil, which it prefers. It is largely a 

 xerophile, though it may be found on humus within the chalk areas. 

 Its associates are the Wood Spurge, Herb Paris, Melic Grass, amongst 

 common plants. Doubtless its reputed use (vide below) has been 

 responsible for its introduction in other southern, eastern, or midland 

 districts. 



Except that the stem is purple and usually single, or divided into 

 two nearly to the base, this plant has much the habit of Marsh Mari- 

 gold. It stands erect, and with spreading divisions of the leaves, 

 which spring from a foot-stalk directly, and with the sheathing bases 

 of its stalkless stem-leaves it looks palm-like when not in flower. 



The leaves are hard and leathery, finger-shaped or nearly stalkless, 

 and with lobes radiating from the centre on the stem. 



The calyx is spreading, and the 5 green sepals are oblong, longer 



