I. EANUNCULACE^. 



181 



18. *Helleborus. — Sepals 6,. regular, petaloid or sub-Iierbaceous, usually persistent. 

 Petals small, clawed, neotariform ; blade furnislied at the base with an inner lip, or a scale. 

 Carpels many, sessile or subsessile, distinct or coherent at the base, many-ovuled, dehiscing 

 inwards at the top when ripe. Seeds 2-seriate ; testa crustaceous, shining. — Erect herbs ; 

 rootstock perennial. Leaves palmati-sect or -lobed, or digitate, cauline few, the upper sometimes 

 involucriform or all bracteiform. Flowers large, white, greenish, yellowish or livid, solitary 

 orpanicled. Sepals large. Follicles coriaceous or membranous. Surope and Western Asia. 



TJfileborus vujei:. 



H. niger. 

 Petal. 



H. nigci'. Flower cut Terticall}^ 





ff. nifjev. Diagram. 



n. niger. Pistil. 



R.ifcetidvs. Emnlhis. 



Petal. Petal (mag.). 



Ei'anthis. 



Seed, entire and cut 



vertically (mag.). 



Branthis hiemalis. 



Erantlus. Flower cut Tcrtically. 



Eranlhls. Diagram. 



