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PRACTICAL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS hbllbboeub 



cut leaves. Flowers appear in May, pale 

 greenish-yellow or nearly white, about 

 I5 in. across, with 5 or 6 spreading sepals, 

 and 15-25 small petals much shorter than 

 the stamens. 



Cultwre (tc. as above. 



T. patulus. — A Siberian species 3-12 

 n. high with golden-yellow flowers. 



Culture Ac. as above. 



HELLEBORUS (Hblleboee ; 

 Christmas Eose, and Bear's Foot). — 

 A genus containing about twelve species 

 of erect perennial herbs, with more or 

 less leathery leaves paknately, pedately, 

 or digitately lobed. Flowers solitary or 

 in panicles, white, greenish, yellowish, or 

 purple in colour. Sepals 5, regular, petal- 

 like, persistent. Petals small, tubular, 

 two-lipped. Carpels numerous, separate 

 or cohering at the base, when mature 

 (follicles) opening at the top. 



Culture cmd Propagation. — Helle- 

 bores should be grown in deep rich 

 loamy soil, in damp and rather shaded 

 places, such as* under trees or at the 

 foot of a north wall. As the flowers 

 appear during the cheerless and often 

 rainy winter months, it is well to have 

 the plants where they can be protected, if 

 necessary, from the damaging effects of 

 mud splashes. The Christmas Eose (H. 

 rnger), for example, has most beautiful 

 white flowers in winter, if protected with 

 a glass light, or even a piece of canvas, 

 when in bloom. 



Hellebores are chiefly increased by 

 dividing the rootstock after flowering. 

 They may also be obtained by the slower 

 process of sowing seeds when new varie- 

 ties or variations of old ones are desired 

 or expected. The seeds may be sown in 

 rich soil, in pots or pans, in cold frames 

 as soon as ripe. The following spring the 

 seedlings will be fit for pricking out, so 

 that with extra space they will become 

 large and strong enough for transplanting 

 about the end of September. Seeds may 

 also be sown out of doors in specially pre- 

 pared spots, not exposed to strong sun- 

 shine. 



H. abschasicus [Ca/acasiam, Christmas 

 Base). — An evergreen Caucasian species 

 about 1 ft. high, and leaves about 1 ft. 

 across, divided into 5-7 bluntly lance- 

 shaped widely spreading trfothed lobes. 

 Flowers from January to March green or 

 purplish, nodding, about 2 in. across, with 

 oval pointed sepals, yellowish-white sta- 



mens and 18-24 petals. The variety 

 alius has pure white flowers, which 

 appear from February to May. 

 Culture dc. as above. 



H. atrorubens. — A native of the woods 

 and thickets of S. Europe. It is about 

 18 in. high, the lower leaves pedate with 

 5 9 lobes, the upper ones almost sessUe 

 and palmate. The deep purple flowers, 

 changing with age to dull pxirple, appear 

 about March and April, and have 

 roundish sepals about 1 in. long. 



Culture do. as above. 



H. caucasicus. — A Caucasian species 

 about 18 in. high, with very glossy oblong 

 leaves 3-4 in. broad. The pale green 

 flowers appear from January to April, 

 and have much-lapped sepals about l| in. 

 long. The variety punctatus is a garden 

 hybrid with showy reddish-purple flowers 

 spotted inside with dark purple. A newer 

 form called nigricans is recognised by its 

 bluish-black flowers. 



Culture do. as above. 



H. colchicus, — This is a native of 

 Asia Minor, and is perhaps the best of 

 the red or crimson Hellebores. It is 

 about 18 in. high, with very large, pedate, 

 toothed, and distinctly veined leaves, 

 divided 5-7 times. From three to six 

 bright deep purple flowers, with yellow 

 stamens, are produced well above the 

 foliage from January to the end of March. 

 The flat sepals are sometimes rounded in 

 shape, and overlap each other. 



H. colchicus has been crossed with 

 H. guttatus and other species, the results 

 being decided acquisitions to the garden. 

 One variety — coccineu^ — ^has large hand- 

 some drooping bell-shaped blossoms of a 

 beautiful plum piirple sufiiised with red. 



Culture dc. as above. 



H. foetidus (SimA-my Hellebore; Setter 

 Wort; Bear's Foot). — A very distinct 

 and ornamental evergreen native species, 

 growing in chalky pastures and thickets, 

 forming luxuriant tufts 2-3 ft. high. 

 The lower leaves are stalked, divided 

 5-7 times into linear, toothed segments. 

 The green flowers, 1 in. across, tipped 

 with purple, are borne on drooping 

 panicled cymes in February and March. 



Culture dc. as above. 



H. lividus [H. corsicus). — A native of 

 Corsica, about 18 in. high, with smooth 

 trifid leaves, the segments being oblong, 

 lance-shaped and sharply toothed ; from 



