I4 Ranunculacce—LEranthis. 
8, ERANTHIS. 
Dwarf herbs with creeping fleshy rootstocks and radical 
palmate leaves appearing after the flowers. Scape about four 
inches high, furnished with a single stem-clasping leaf, whose 
verticillate segments have the form of an involucre. Flower 
solitary, terminal, yellow. Sepals from 5 to 8, coloured, regular 
and narrow. Petals smalland inconspicuous. Carpels stalked. 
Name from #p, Spring, and dvfos, a flower. 
1. E. hyemalis (fig.11). Winter Aconite.—One of the earliest 
Fig. 11. Eranthis hyemalis. ( nat. size.) 
Spring flowers, possessing the valuable quality of flourishing in 
almost any soil or situation. Native of Italy. 
9, HELLEBORWUS. 
Perennial herbs with thick rhizomes and palmately, digitately 
or pedately divided leaves on long petioles. Flowers solitary 
or panicled, rather large, white, greenish, or dull purple. 
Sepals 5, regular, petaloid, commonly persistent. Petals 
small, tubular, and inconspicuous. Carpels numerous, sessile or 
shortly stalked. There are about twelve species, all natives of 
temperate Europe and Asia. The name is derived from éneiv, 
to injure, and Popa, food, in allusion to the poisonous properties. 
1. H. niger (fig. 12). The Christmas Rose.—This is the 
only species in general cultivation, and is too well known to 
need description. The beautiful white or pinkish flowers are 
produced about Christmastide. It is a native of Austria. 
2. H. Olgmpicus, syn. H. orientilis. A very handsome 
species, with foliage resembling that of H. niger, but appear- 
ing with the flowers in early Spring. The latter are large and 
numerous, and bright rose in the best variety. A native of 
8. Europe and Asia Minor, and said to bear London smoke well. 
