Ranunculacea Helleborus. 1 5 



3. H. viridis. A dwarfer plant, with digitately 5- to 7 -folio- 

 late leaves; leaflets narrow, serrated. In the ordinary form 

 the flowers are green, but there are several varieties differing 



Fig. 12. Helleborus niger. (J nat. size.) 



in the size and colour of the flowers, amongst which we may 

 mention atropurpureus, bearing large purplish red flowers. 



There are two or three other species in cultivation : as, 

 H. Golchicus, having large panicles of red flowers in March ; 

 H. foetidus, with greenish flowers tinted with dull purple ; 

 H. lividus, 2 to 3 feet high, with ternate leaves and bracteate 

 racemes of livid flowers, etc. H. atrortibens is a fine variety 

 of hybrid origin. 



10. NIG^LLA. 



Erect annuals with alternate finely dissected compound 

 leaves. Flowers solitary, terminal, yellow, blue, or white, sur- 

 rounded by a finely divided leafy involucre in some species* 

 Sepals 5, regular, petaloid. Petals small, bifid. Carpels 3 to 

 10, more or less combined. Natives of the Mediterranean 

 region. The name is said to be derived from niger, black,- in 

 allusion to the colour of the seeds. 



1. N. damascena. Devil-in-a-Bush, Love-in-a-Mist. About 

 2 feet high, with finely-cut leaves and pale blue flowers en- 

 circled by a leafy involucre. 



2. N. Hispdnica. With larger white, lilac, or dark purple 

 flowers, and no involucre. Both flower in Summer. 



