CrXTERCUP FAMILY 17 



9. Hellhborus (Helleborel — Terennial herbs ; ,\\ivrs pal- 

 mately or pedately lobed ; st/ci/s 5, large, herbaceous, iaibricate, 

 persistent : /(A7/.C 5 — 10, small, tubular, 2-lipped, clawed; /;v/// 

 of 3 — 10 sessile follicles. (Name from the (!7reek /ic/ci/i, to take 

 awav, and /vm, food, from its use as an emetjc.) 



I. //. :ir:J:s (Green Hellebore, Bear's-feot'l. — A herbaceous 

 perennial, about i foot high; uiizys palma'tisect, 5 — 7 lobed; 

 ffo'.L'crs \l — 2 ui. across: scfals green, spreading; /'l/ii/s con- 

 taining honev, which is said to be poisonous. — Thickets on 

 chalky soil. — Fl. March — April, rerennial.. 



J. /f. /,r//,!!/s (Stinking Hellebore, Setterwort). — Sfc-m peren- 

 nial, 1 — ; feet high ; Aizrvj- pedate : fhnccrs i in. across, drooping ; 

 Sipjls green, tipped with dull purple, converging. Best distin- 

 guished from the preceding by its leaves, which are not divided 

 to a common centre, and bv the purplish hue of its sepals. — 

 Thickets on chalky soil. — Fl. February — April. Perennial. 



Both species are somewhat doubtful natives, generally found 

 near houses. Small tlies may sometimes be found caught in the 

 honey of the tubular petals. H. /li^cr, a halidsome species, w ith 

 large while or rose-coloured flowers, is the well-known Christmas 

 Rose of o.ir gardens. 



*ro. F!!ranthis ^^^^ inter Aconite*. — A small perennial herb 

 with a fleshy rhizome ; <ti;;v.> palmatisect ; /-Vrccv-.f solitary ; si/'als 

 5 — S. deciduous, yellow : /•ituls small, tubtllar, 2-lipped, with a 

 long claw ; fi'/i'iWcs 5 — 0, stalked. (Name* l"ron> the Greek tv, 

 spring, and anf/ws. flower.") 



I.* Z". '!'ic'".'.z'.';V (^Winter Aconite!. — Stem -i — in. high ; ^cdics 

 orbicul.ir, deeplv 3 — 7-lobed. glossy, lobes line.ir-oblong, obtuse ; 

 irii\'i:t:n. of sessile lealy bracts, just below , the solitary, golden- 

 vellow flower. — Common in gardens, and sqmetimes naturalised. 

 — Fl. January — March. Perennial. 



II. Aquilhgi.a (Columbinei. — \n erect perennial herb ; liavis 

 2- — 3-ternate ; _;7'c>a'cVj handsome, i — :^ in. ai;ross : Scfals 5, peta- 

 loid, deciduous : /t'.'iJ/V 5, each with a long spur : A'.'Yi/t'i 5. 

 (Xame from the Latin jj!ii-j. an eagle, the claws of which the 

 spurs of the petals are supposed to resemble. 1 



I. A. -.u.'gdris (ColumbineV — The only British species, common 

 in g.irdens, to which in spring it is very ,omamental. with its 

 dehcate glaucous leaves : and no less so in summer, with its 

 curiouslv-shaped and variously-coloured flowers. ^ATien growing 

 wild, its flowers are usually blue, purple, or white. It may be 

 distinguished from all other British flowers by having each of us 

 c 



