'3S0 HELLEBORE. 



naked, thick, cylindrical scapes, four or five inches high, simple 

 or bifurcate at the summit, with one or two terminal flowers 

 subtended by two or three ovate bracteae. The leaves expand 

 with the scapes, or immediately after them ; they are all radical, 

 on long petioles, large, smooth, coriaceous, deep green^ often 

 spotted with reddish brown, pedate, with ovate, lanceolate, acute, 

 serrated leaflets. The calyx consists of five large, roundish, 

 obtuse, petaloid sepals, white, often tinged with rose-colour. The 

 petals are very short, tubular, two-lipped, and nectariferous. 

 The stamens are very numerous, with capillary filaments rather 

 longer than the petals, and yellow roundish anthers. The 

 germens^ about six in number, are surmounted by as many 

 subulate styles and roundish stigmas. The fruit consists of five 

 or six coriaceous pericarps or follicles, which are ovate, com- 

 pressed, mucronate laterally at the summit, arcuate at the 

 border, opening by two valves, and containing many black 

 shining seeds, disposed in a double series. Plate 24, fig. 2, (a) 

 tubular petal (nectary of Linnaeus) ; (6) pistils. 



This plant is a native of Austria, the Apennines, Italy, and 

 Greece, and is often cultivated in our gardens, flowering from 

 December to February, whence it has obtained the appellation 

 of Christmas Rose. 



Black Hellebore w^as, for a long time^ thought to be the 

 sXXsBopo; ij.sXccg of Hippocrates, but the researches of modern 

 botanists have proved that to be a distinct species, called by 

 Willdenow Hellehorus Orientalis. Their properties appear to 

 be similar. This is the Melampodium of the old pharmacopoeias, 

 so called from Melampus, its discoverer*. 



Qualities. — The fibres of the root, which are the parts used 

 medicinally, are about the thickness of a small quill, and when 

 recent, are white or reddish internally, and covered with a pale 

 brown epidermis. Their odour is nauseous ; the taste bitter, 

 somewhat acrid, and persistent. When chewed^ they affect the 

 tongue with a stvipifying sensation; "or as if it had been a little 

 burnt with eating or supping anything too hot." These 

 qualities are impaired by keeping, and the epidermis becomes 

 dark brown or nearly black. 



The active matter appears to be of a volatile nature as it 



* Bear's-foot, or Stinking Hellebore, has been already described. 



