﻿( 103 .) 



HELLE'BORUS* *. 



Linnean Class and Order. Polya'ndria f, Polygy'niA. 



Natural Order. Ranuncula'ceat, Juss. Gen. PI. p. 231. — 

 Sm. Gram, of Bot. p. 136. — Lindl. Syn. p. 7. ; Introd. to Nat. 

 Syst. of Bot. p. 6. — Rich, by Macgilliv. p. 465. — Loud. Hort. Brit, 

 p. 495. 



Gex. Char. Calyx (corolla of Linn.) inferior, permanent (see 

 fig. 1.), of 5 roundish, blunt, large, concave sepals, which are 

 usually green. Corolla of from 8 to 10 petals ( nectaries of Linn.y, 

 (figs. 2 & 3.) small, 2-lipped, tubular, narrow, and nectariferous at 

 the base ; deciduous. Filaments (see fig. 2.) very numerous, awl- 

 shaped. Anthers terminal, upright, roundish, of 2 cells, bursting 

 at the edges. Germens (fig. 4.) superior, from 3 to 10, egg-shaped, 

 compressed, upright. Styles (see fig. 4.) awl-shaped. Stigmas 

 terminal, roundish. Follicles (see fig. 1.) egg-shaped, compressed, 

 coriaceous, keeled, beaked with the styles, opening at the rounded 

 inner margin. Seeds several, oval, at the edges of the follicle, 

 attached, in 2 rows, to a strap-shaped, double notched, deciduous 

 receptacle f placenta J. 



Distinguished from other genera, in the same class and order, 

 by the calyx of 5 permanent, regular sepals ; the small, tubular, 

 2-lipped, nectariferous petals; and the nearly upright, many- 

 seeded follicles. 



Two species British. 



HELLE'BORUS FCE'TIDUS. Stinking Hellebore. Bear’s- 

 foot. Setterwort. 



Spec. Char. Stem many-flowered, leafy ; leaves pedate. Calyx 

 converging. 



Eng. Bot. t. 613. — Linn. Sp. PI. p. 784. — Huds. FI. Angl. (2nd ed.) p. 245. — 

 Woodv. Med. Bot. v. i. p. 53. t. 19. — Sm. FI. Biit. v. ii. p 508. Eng. FI. v. iii. 

 p. 58. — With. (7th ed.) v. iii. p. 686.— Gray’s Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 713. — Lind. Syn. 

 p. 13. — Hook. Brit. FI. p. 268. — Don’s Gen. Syst. of Card, and Bot. v. i. p. 46. — 

 Sibth. FI. Oxon. p. 177. — Abbot’s FI. Bedf. p. 124.— l’urt. Midi. FI. v. i. p.264, 

 and v. iii. p.363. — Relh. FI. Cant. (3d ed.) p.226. — Curt. Brit. Entomol. v. viii. 

 t. 363 ! — Hook. FI. Scot. p. 176. — Grev. FI. Edin. p. 127. — Perry’s PI. Varvic. 

 Selectae, p. 47. — Walk. FI. of Oxf. p. 159. — Bab. FI. Bath. p. 2. — Helleboraster 

 maximus, Ray’s Syn. p.271. — Johnson’s Gerarde, p. 976. 



Localities. — In pastures, thickets, and waste ground, on a chalky or gravelly 

 soil. Not common. — Oxfordshire; Cornbury Stone-quarries : Dr. Sibthoiip, 

 and J. Coles, Esq. King’s-wood Lane, and Lower Heyford: Mr. G. Wood- 

 ward. — Bedfordshire ; Thickets near Bromham, Stevington, and Stagsden : 

 Rev. C. Abbot. — Bucks; Chalk-hill, near Hedsor Wharf: Mr. Gotobed. — 

 Cambridgeshire ; Pastures and hedges at Cherry Hinton, Fulbourn, and Trip- 

 low : Rev. R. Relhan. — Cumberland ; Near Keswick : Mr. Hutton. — Derby- 

 shire ; Croraford Moor : Mr. Coke. Dethick : Mr. Hallows. Matlock: Mrs. 

 Acland. — Devon; Quarry near Bampton : Miss Bliss. — Durham; Banks of 

 the Tees below VVinstoD Bridge: Rev. J. Harriman. Woods in Weardale: 

 Mr. Winch — Essex ; In the hedge opposite High Laver: Mr. T. F. Forster. 

 Opposite a farm house at Muncombe, near Woodford: Mr. R. Warner. — 

 Gloucestershire ; Woods in Tortworth Park: Mr. Baker. Side of Jack’s 

 Green, Shepscombe, Painswick: Mr. O. Roberts.— Hampshire ; All over the 



Fig. 1. The Capsules or Follicles, after they have discharged their seeds, with 

 the permanent Calyx. — Fig. 2. Petals and Stamens. —Fig. 3. A separate Petal. — 

 Fig. 4. Germens, Styles, and Stigmas. 



* From helein, Gr. to cause death; and bora, Gr. food, from the poisonous 

 nature of the plant. t See Anemone nemvrosa, folio 43, note f. 



