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and management like the eighth fort, fo, tinlefs for 
the fake of variety in botanic gardens, they are not 
worth cultivating here. 
H E L L E B O R R, See Helleborus. 
HELLEB-ORINE. See Serapias and Lima- 
DORUM. 
HELLEBOROIDES HYRMALIS. See 
Helleborus. 
H ELL E BORO RANUNCULUS. See 
Trollius. 
HELLEBORUS. Lin. Gen. Plant. 622. Tourn. 
Inft. R. H. 2 71. tab. 144. ['EAAsSop®*.] Black Hel- 
lebore, or Chriftmas flower ; in French, Ellebore- 
Noire. 
The Characters are, 
1 The flowers hath no empalement •, it hath five large 
roundijh petals , which are permanent , and many fmall 
nefiarii placed circularly , each being of one piece , with 
a narrow tube at the bottom , divided at the brim into two 
Ups , the under being Jhort and indented ; it hath a great 
number of ft amina, terminated by comprejfed ere ft fummits , 
and feveral germen , which are comprejfed , fupporting 
awl-fhaped flyles , crowned by thick Jligmas. The germen 
afterward turn to comprejfed capfules with two keels , 
the lower being Jhort , and the upper convex , which are 
filled with round feeds adhering to the [earn. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the feventh fedion 
of Linnaeus’s thirteenth clafs, intitled Polyandria Po- 
lygynia, which includes thofe plants whofe flowers 
have many ftamina and ftyles. 
The Species are, 
3. Helleeqrus ( Fcetidus ) caule multifloro foiiofo, fo- 
lks pedatis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 784. Hellebore with many 
flowers on a ftalk , which are intermixed with leaves , and 
r’amofe haves fitting on the foot-ftalk. Helleborus niger 
fcetidus. C. B. P. Stinking Black Hellebore , Bears -foot, 
or Setterwort. 
2. Helleborus ( Viridis ) caule multifloro foiiofo, foliis 
digitalis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 558. Hellebore with many 
flowers on a ftalk , which are intermixed with leaves , and 
hand-jhaped leaves. Helleborus niger hortenfls, flore 
viridi. C. B. P. Green flowered Black Hellebore , or 
Bears-foot. 
3. Helleborus [Niger) -fcapo fub-unifloro fub-nudo, 
foliis pedatis. ITort. Upfal. 157. Hellebore with one 
flower on a ftalk , which is naked , and hand-jhaped leaves 
fitting on the foot-ftalk. Helleborus niger, flore albo, 
etiam interdum valde rubente. J. B. True Black Hel- 
lebore, or Chriftmas Rofte. 
4. Helleborus ( Trifolius ) caule multifloro, foliis ter- 
natis integerrimis. Hellebore with many flowers on a 
ftalk, and leaves compofted of three entire lobes. Helle- 
borus niger trifoliatus, Hort. Farn. Trifoliate Black 
Hellebore. 
5. Helleborus ( Hyemalis ) flore folio infldente. Hort. 
Cliff. 227. Hellebore with the flower fitting on the leaf. 
Aconitum Hyemale, or IVinter Aconite. 
6. Helleborus ( Latifolius ) caule multifloro foiiofo, fo- 
liis digitatis ferratis amplioribus. Hellebore with many 
flowers upon a. ftalk, intermixed with leaves , and large 
fingered leaves which are flawed. Helleborus niger 
amplioribus foliis. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 272. Black 
Hellebore zvith larger leaves. 
The firft fort grows naturally in woods in feveral 
parts of England, but particularly in Suffex, where I 
have feen it in great plenty ; this hath a jointed her- 
baceous ftalk, which rifes two feet high, dividing 
into two or three heads, garniihed with leaves com- 
pofed of eight or nine long narrow lobes, which join 
at their bafe ; four of thefe on each fide are joined to- 
gether at their tails, and the middle one ftands on the 
center of the foot-ftalk ; thefe are fa wed on their 
edges, and end in acute points j thofe on the lower 
part of the ftklk are much larger than the upper, 
which are fmall and narrow. The flower- ftalk arifes 
from the center of the plant, dividing into many 
branches, each fuftaining feveral fmaller foot-ftalks, 
with one entire fpear-fhaped leaf upon each, and one 
large greenilh flower at the top with purplifh rims ; 
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thefe appear in winter, and the feeds ripen in the 
fpring; which, if permitted to fcatter, the plants will 
rife without care, and may be tranfplanted into woods, 
or in v/ildernefs quarters, where they will grow in 
great fhade, and make a good appearance at a feafon 
when there are but few plants in beauty. 
The fecond fort grows naturally atDitton, near Cam- 
bridge, and in the woods near Stoken Church, in O i- 
fordfhire. The ftalks of this fort grow more upright 
than thofe of the firft, and do not branch fo much. 
The leaves are compofed of nine long lobes, which 
unite to the foot-ftalk at their bafe, and are fharply 
fawed on their edges j they are of a lighter green than 
thofe of the firft. fort. The flowers are produced at 
the top of the ftalk, having one or tyro leaves fet on 
the foot-ftalk ; they are compofed of five oval green 
petals, with a great number of ftamina furrounding the 
germen in the middle ; thefe appear the beginning of 
February, and the feeds ripen the end of May, which 
if fown foon after they are ripe, the plants wall come 
up early the following fpring ; and, when they have 
obtained ftrepgth, may be planted in ihady places un- 
der trees, where they will thrive and flower very well. 
The leaves of this fort decay in autumn, and new ones 
arife from the roots in the fpring, but the firft fort is 
always green. 
The third fort is fuppofed to be the Hellebore of the 
antients ; this grows naturally on the Alps and Apen- 
nine mountains. The root of this fort is compofed of 
many thick flefhy fibres, which fpread far into the 
ground, from which arife the flowers upon naked 
foot-ftalks, immediately from the root, each fupport- 
ing one large white flower, compofed of five round- 
ifh petals, with a great number of ftamina in the 
middle. The leaves of this are compofed of feven or 
eight thick, flefhy, obtufelobes, which are flightly faw- 
ed on their edges, and unite with the foot-ftalk at their 
bafe ; this plant flowers in winter, from whence the 
title of Chriftmas Rofe was applied to it: it is pro- 
4 pagated by parting of the roots in autumn, for the 
feeds feldom ripen well in England ; it fhouid have 
a more fheltered fituation than either of the former, 
otherwife it will not flower well. 
The fourth fort is like the fecond, but differs from 
it in having trifoliate leaves, which are broader 
and entire, their furface is fmoother •, this flowers 
early in winter, and the ftalks rife higher than 
either of the former forts, but is at at prefent rare in 
England. 
The fifth fort is the common Winter Aconite, which 
is fo well known as to need no defeription. It flowers 
very early in the fpring, which renders it worthy 
of a place in all curious gardens, efpecially as it 
requires but little room •, this is propagated by 
offsets, which the roots fend out in plenty; thefe 
roots may be taken up and tranfplanted, any time 
after their leaves decay, which is generally by the 
beginning of June till October, when they will be- 
gin to put out new fibres ; but as the roots are fmall, 
and nearly of the colour of the ground, fo, if care 
is not taken to fearch them, many of the roots will 
be left in the ground ; thefe roots fhouid be plant- 
ed in fmall clufters, otherwife they will not make a 
good appearance ; for Angle flowers fcattered about 
the borders of theft fmall kinds, are fcarce feen at 
a diftance ; but when thefe and the Snowdrops are 
alternately planted in bunches, they will have a good 
effed, as they flower at the fame time, and are much 
of a fize. 
The fixth fort is like the firft, but the lobes of the 
leaves are broader, and the ftalks grow taller ; this 
grows naturally in Iftria and Dalmatia, from whence 
i received fome of the feeds ; it has been fuppofed to 
be only a ftminal variety of the firft, and as fuch I 
fowed the feeds ; but the plants had a very great dif- 
ference, and the firft winter proving fevere, they were 
all deftroyed ; fo that it is not fo hardy as our common 
fort, and depending on their being fo, occafioned the 
lofs of the plants. 
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