HELLEBORUS VIRIDIS. GREEN HELLEBORE. 
HELLEBORUS. Lin. Gen. PL Potyanpria PoLyGynia. 
Cal. o. Petala5. f. plura. Neéfaria bilabiata, tubulata, Capfila 
polyfperme, ere€tiuicule, 
Rau Syn, Gen. 17. Herb MYLTISILIQUA SEU CORNICULATA, 
HELLEBORUS «zz; caule bifido, ramis foliofis bifloris, foliis digitatis, Lyn. yf. Vegetab. p. 59. 
Sp. Pl. 784. Scop. Carn. ed. 2. n. 607. Hud. Fl. Angl. ed. 2. p. 245. Lightf 
Scot. p. 207. "facg. Fl. Aufir. v. 2. t. 205. 
HELLEBORUS foliis multipartitis, ferratis, caule pancifloro. Hal/. Hif. 2. 1192. 
HELLEBORUS niger hortenfis flore viridi. — Bau. Pin. 185. 
HELLEBORASTER minor, flore viridante. Baftard blacke Hellebor or Bearesfoote. Pure. 219. 
HELLEBORASTRUM Wilde blacke Hellebor. Ger. Heré. p. 825. f. 2. emac. p. 976. f. 2. Rai 
Syn. ed. 3. p. 271. 
"VERATRUM nigrum II. Dod. Pempt. p. 385. f. 2. 
tenses EE 
RADIX perennis, ex fufco nigricans, novos furculos 
quotannis promens, plurimis fibris, majuf- 
culis capillata, fibris longis, radice ipfa pal. 
lidioribus, intus albicantibus, faporis amari 
fubacris, ingrati. 
CAULIS fubfolitarius, ereétus, pedalis circiter, ple- 
rumque bifidus, fubnudus, glaber, teretiuf- 
culus, inferne purpurafcens; ramis patenti- 
bus, foliofis, fubbifloris. 
ROOT perennial, of a blackifh brown colour, putting 
forth yearly. new fhoots, furnifhed with nu- 
merous large fibres, which are long, paler 
than the root itfelf, whitifh within, of a bitter, 
fomewhat acrid, and unpleafant tafte. 
STALK ufually fingle, upright, about a foot in height, 
generally bifid, almoft naked, fmooth, nearly 
round, below purplifh, branches Ípreading, 
leafy, fupporting for the moft part two 
flowers. 
LEAVES fingered, unequally cloven, fegments oblong- 
lanceolate, pointed, finely ferrated, veiny 
3 
FOLIA digitata, inzequaliter fiffa; laciniis oblongo- 
lanceolatis, acutis, argute ferratis, venofis 
CO Coo Co CD Qi Gv Gr Ceo CD 
3 
= . . LI 2 
obfcure viridibus, lucidis; radicalia petiolata, à of a dull green and glofly, thofe next the 
multipartita, petiolo femitereti, fulcato; cau- Q root flandmg on footílalks, deeply divided 
Ima ad divifiones ramorum pedunculorumque 9 into many fegments, the footftalk convex on 
feflilia tri-quadri-quinquelobata. one fide, flat on the other, and grooved, 
thofe of the flalk placed at the divifions 
of the branches and peduncles, feffile, three, 
| four, or five lobed. 
FLORES mediz magnitudinis, fubnutantes, virides, 0 FLOWERS of a middling fize, nodding fomewhat, 
. fubfuaveolentes. 
PEDUNCULI fubcompreffi, rugofi. F 
CALYX nullus. 
COROLLA: PzTALA 5, ovata, obtufa, calyciformia, 
viridia, folis pallidiora, intus venofa, per- 
fiftentia. 
NECTARIA circiter decem, luteo-virentia, inter 
petala et ftamina, in orbem pofita, ercéia, 
_tubulofa, pedunculata, ore obfolete bilabiato 
crenato, fig. 2. 
green, {lightly odoriferous. 
LOWER-STALKS fomewhat flattenéd and wrinkly. 
CALYX none. 
COROLLA: 5 PeErats, ovate, obtufe, calyx-like, 
green, paler than the leaves, 'veiny on the 
infide, continuing. 
NECTARIES about ten, of a yellowifh green colour, 
placed in a circle between the petals and 
{tamina, upright, tubular, ftanding on foot- 
ftalks, the mouth faintly two lip'd and notch’d, 
2 
STAMINA: Firamenra numerofa, neGriis duplo 
longiora, fubulata, .lutefcentia; ANTHERJE 
erecta, ovales, pallide, fg. 1. 
PISTILLUM: Germina a duobus ad fex, raro plura 
ig. 9. 
STAMINA: FriLAMENTS numerous, twice the length 
of the neé&taries, tapering, yellowifh ; Awn- 
THERJE upright, oval, of a pale colour, fig. 1. 
PISTILLUM: Germina from two to fix, rarely 
De CODO CO COH Ceo Dr DO D+} 1} CC 9 
lI 
magna, oblonga, levia; Sryzr fubulati, more, large, oblong, fmooth; Sry.es ta- 
recurvati; STIGMATA obtufa, craffiufcula, pering, bending back; Srigmara blunt, 
Fig: 3: à thickifh, fg. 9. 
\ 
The Helleborus viridis, fo called from the green colour of its flowers, is found fparingly in the neighbourhood 
of London, we have feen it wild only in one fpot, a {mall wood near Finchley, where it was difcovered by 
Mr. Jacos Rayer, a zealous and indefatigable labourer in the caufe of Botany; in various other parts of the 
kingdom it is more common, but not generally fo: with us it is ufually found in woods and copfes, efpecially 
fuch as have a moift {tiff foil, which it particularly affects, and out of which it will not thrive; in different parts 
of Germany it is faid to grow in open mountainous fituations, and where, if we may judge from Prof, 
Jacguin’s figure, it is lefs luxuriant than here. 
It begins to flower in February, and continues in bloffom through March and part of April; when favourably 
fituated it produces feeds in abundance. 
C. Bauuine obferves, that its roots are by many ufed medicinally; their qualities are moft probably the 
fame as thofe of the niger, and feridus, and hence there is little doubt but they may be fafely fub(lituted for 
thofe of the former, which is the true officinal plant: in faé they are fo ufed in London. Mr. Basineron, 
who fo honourably fills the ftation of Apothecary to Guy's-Hofpital, affures me that great quantities of its roots 
are yearly fent up from the country, and ufed for thofe of Black Hellebore ; they are of a lighter colour, which 
is the moft obvious chara&ter by which they are diflinguifhable: it is a fortunate circumflance that from their 
being poffeffed of fimilar qualities, the health of the public is not likely to receive any material injury from an 
impofition fo grofs, or from ignorance fo unpardonable. VoczL informs us in his Materia Medica, that the 
Francfort and Hambro' merchants frequently fubílitute the roots of the Adonis vernalis for thole of the 
Helleborus niger. To the injuries arifing from fuch impofitions the public will be liable, while medical men are 
fo inattentive to the few plants now uled medicinally, and while the walking an Hofpital, as it is called, and 
diffe&ing a dead body, fhall be confidered as all-fufficient to qualify for the mott important profeffion in life. 
