Helleborus "V iridis. Green Hellebore. 
HELLEBORUS. Lin. Gen. Pi. Polyandria Polygynia. 
C°l. o Petala 5. f. plura. Nedlaria bilabiata, tubulata. Capful a 
polyfpermte, ere&iufcuta. 
Rail Syn. Gen. 17. Herb.*: multisiliqu*: seu corniculat*:. 
HELLEBORUS viridis caule bifido, ramis foliofis bifloris, foliis digitatis. Lin. Syfl. Vegetal, p. m. 
bp. PI. 784. Scop. Cam. ed. 2. n. 697. Hud/'. FI. ‘Angi. ed. 2. p. 24$. Light? 
Scot. p. 297. Jncq. FI. Aujlr. v. 2. /. 20S. 
HELLEBORUS foliis multipartitis, ferratis, caule paucifloro. Hall. Hif. n. 1 192. 
HELLEBORUS niger hortenfis flore viridi. Bauh. Pin. 185. 
HELLEBOR ASTER minor, flore viridante. Baflard blacke Hellebor or Bearesfoote. Par k. 212. 
HELLEBORASTRUM Wilde blacke Hellebor. Ger. Heri. p. 825./. 2. emac. p. 07S f. 2 Rail 
Syn. ed. 3. p. 271. 
VERATRUM nigrum II. Dod. Pempt. p. 385. f 2. 
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, ere&us, pedalis circiter, ple- 
rumque bifidus, fubnudus, glaber, teretiuf- 
culus, inferne purpurafcens ; ramis patenti- 
bus, foliofis, fubbifloris. 
FOLIA digitata, inaequaliter fifla, laciniis oblongo- 
lanceolatis, acutis, argute ferratis, venoTis, 
obfcure viridibus, lucidis; radicalia petiolata, 
multipartita, petiolo femitereti, fulcaio ; cau- 
lina ad divifiones ramorum pedunculorumque 
feflilia tri-quadri-quinquelobata. 
FLORES mediae magnitudinis, fubnutantes, virides, 
fubfuaveolentes. 
PEDUNCULI fubcomprelfi, rugofi. 
CALYX nullus. 
COROLLA: Petala 5, ovata, obtufa, calyciformia, 
viridia, foliis pallidiora, intus venofa, per- 
fidentia. 
NECTARIA circiter decem, Iuteo-virentia, inter 
petala et flamina, in orbem polita, ere£la, 
tubulofa, pedunculata, ore obfolete bilabiato, 
crenato, fg. 2. 
STAMINA: Filamenta numerofa, ne&ariis duplo 
longiora, fubulata, lutefcentia; Anther*: 
erefctae, ovales, pallidae, fig. 1. 
PISTILLUM : Germina a duobus ad fex, raro plura, 
magna, oblonga, laevia ; Styli fubulati’ 
recurvati; Stigmata obtufa, crafliufcula, 
M- 3 - 
ROOT perennial, of a blackifli brown colour, putting 
forth yearly new fhoots, furnifhed with nu- 
merous large fibres, which are long, paler 
than the root itfelf, whitilh within, of a bitter, 
lomewhat acrid, and unpleafant tafte. 
STALK ufually Angle, upright, about a foot in height, 
generally' bifid, almoit naked, fmooth, nearly 
round, below purplifh, branches fpreading, 
leafy, fupporting for the moll part two 
flowers. 
LEAVES fingered, unequally cloven, fegments oblong- 
lanceolate, pointed, finely ferrated, veiny, 
of a dull green and glofly, thofe next the 
root Handing on footftalks, deeply divided 
into many fegments, the footftalk convex on 
one fide, flat on the other, and grooved, 
thofe of the ftalk placed at the divifions 
of the branches and peduncles, feflile, three, 
four y or five lobed. 
FLOWERS of a middling fize, nodding fomewhat, 
green, flightly odoriferous. 
FLOW ER-STALKS fomewhat flattened and wrinkly. 
CALYX none. 
COROLLA: 5 Petals, 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* 
itamina, upright, tubular, Handing on foot- 
ftalks, the mouth faintly two lip’d and notch’d, 
fS- 2 - 
STAMINA : Filaments numerous, twice the length 
of the ne&aries, tapering, yellowifh ; An- 
ther*: upright, oval, of a pale colour, 6 ?. 1. 
PISTILLUM: Germina from two to fix, rarely 
more, large, oblong, fmooth; Styles ta- 
pering, bending back; Stigmata blunt, 
thickifh, fg. 3. 
The Hellelorus vindis, fo called from the green colour of its flowers, is found fparingly in the neighbourhood 
of London, we have feen it wild only m one Ipot, a fmall wood near Finchley, where it was dilcovered bv 
Mr. Jacob Kayer, 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 
luch as have a moift ftiff foil, which it particularly affe&s, and out of which it will not thrive ; in different parts 
ot Germany it is laid to grow in open mountainous fituations, and where, if we may judsie from Prof 
Jacquin s figure, it is lefs luxuriant than here. ° 
It begins to flower in February, and continues in bloflom through March and part of April ; when favourablv 
ntuated it produces feeds in abundance. ^ 
C. Bauhine obferves, that its roots are by many ufed medicinally; their qualities are moft probably the 
lame as thole of the mger, and fcctidus, and hence there is little doubt but they may be fafely fubftitutcd for 
thole of the former which is the true officinal plant: in fa& they are fo ufed in London. Mr. Babington 
who lo honourably fills the ftation of Apothecary to Guy’s-Hofpital, affures me that great quantities of its roots 
are yearly lent up from the country, and ufed for thofe of Black Hellebore ; they are of a lighter colour which 
is the moft obvious charafter by which they are diftinguifhable : it is a fortunate circumftance that from their 
being pollelied of fimilar qualities, the health of the public is not likely to receive any material injury from an 
impolition 10 grols, or from ignorance fo unpardonable. Vogel informs us in his Materia Medica that the 
rrancfort and Hambro’ merchants frequently fubflitute the roots of the Adonis vernatis for tlio’fe of the 
Hellelorus mger. To the injuries arifing from fuch impofitions the public will be liable, while medical men are 
!rn' ll a- ttentU j e t ?, t , * ew P* ants now u * e( l medicinally, and while the walking an Hofpital, as it is called and 
diiiecting a dead body, fhall be considered as all-fufficient to qualify for the moft important profeffion in life. 
