160 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ July, 
been considered to be tbe plant which furnished the Black Hellebore of the ancients, the 
infallible remedy in cases of insanity and epilepsy; but that was the produce of another, 
though similar, plant, which, in early ages, grew chiefly on the Island of Anticyra, in the 
iEgean Sea. Upwards of 2000 years ago, people suffei'ing from any kind of nervous affection 
were sent to this island to eat the Hellebore root in a raw state, just as we now send our sick 
to the different watering-places. 
“ But the Black Hellebore is by no means identical with the Hellebore of the East, 
wdiich was found by Tournefort in the mountains of Pontus, and rediscovered by me, in nearly 
the same place, in 1843, but another species, that is pi’obably restricted to Greece, including 
the islands, and the southern part of European Turkey. It was named Helleborus officinalis 
by Sibthorp, and H. ofympicus of Lindley is the same plant. The true H. orientalis of Lamarck 
differs essentially in having leaves with a hairy under-surface. 
“ A third Oriental species grows on the southern declivities of the middle Caucasus, and 
is unquestionably the most beautiful. Russian botanists have invariably confounded it with 
H. orientalis. I found it as early as 1837 in the vicinity of Tiflis, and at once took it for a 
distinct species, readily distinguished by its particularly large pure white flowers, covered 
with distinct deep red spots. In the year 1845 it was in cultivation in Belgium, where it was 
mistaken by the elder Morren for H. intermedins, Gus. Later the plant was sent from St. 
Petersburg to the Berlin University Garden, and Professor Braun, after determining my 
specimens collected in the Caucasus to be the same, described it under the name of H. guttatus, 
a name that must be retained for it. 
“A fourth species was observed in Hungary by Waldstein and Kitaibel, and described as 
H. purpurascens. This occurs in two well-marked forms on the western slope of the Caucasus 
into the Black Sea ; the dark-flowered variety has been described by Dr. Regel as H. colchicits , 
whilst the paler-flowered variety was already known in gardens under the name II. abchasicns. 
“ These historical notes will doubtless interest your readers, because the species last 
named have yielded, through cross-fertilisation, varieties of rare beauty and diversity, which 
I cannot too strongly recommend. At this time of the year there are no more beautiful or 
more useful plants than these hybrid Hellebores. Although they would flourish and flower 
out-of-doors in England, I should, nevertheless, advise growing them in pots, by which means 
they could be removed at the flowering-time to whatever part be desired. 
“To the lamented M. Sauer, the late superintendent of the Berlin University Garden, 
and one of the most intelligent gardeners we have had in Germany, is due the merit of 
raising hybrids from H. guttatus and H. abchasicns. His first attempt was made as long ago 
as 1851, with the two species just named, and proved highly successful, resulting in the 
production of two series of variations. The plants of the H. guttatus were more vigorous, 
and bore a far greater number of flowers than the type. The flowers of some were bell¬ 
shaped, whilst others retained the spreading sepals of the parent species. The dark red 
spots appeared larger and assumed more of a brown tint; in some instances the whole 
flower was of a brownish colour. The second series of H. abchasicus had, for the greater 
part, paler flowers, sometimes with white spots, but often destitute of them. Both races 
were four and five years from seed before they flowered. After some years M. Sauer saved 
seed from the prettiest of these varieties, and as Hellebore seed soon loses its vitality, sowed 
it at once. This issue was still more brilliant. Still further experiments were tried, with 
the same satisfactory results. 
“ Meanwhile, II. officinalis (olympicus ) was introduced into the Botanic Garden. Above 
all, a variety with blood-red leaves (? calyx leaves) made a great sensation. M. Bouchd, 
the superintendent of the garden, tried some crosses with this new species with no less success. 
The Berlin Botanic Garden possesses a collection of Oriental hybrid Hellebori which may 
with truth be designated as remarkable.” 
Subsequently Professor Koch recorded in the same journal ( G. C. 1874, i., 
480) the success which had rewarded M. Heinemann, of Erfurt, on his attempting 
to raise new hybrids between H. guttatus and H. abchasicus , some of which he 
refers to as possessing much beauty ; one in particular was remarkable, in having 
the bright brown sepals of H. abchasicus sprinkled with the differently-coloured 
spots of H. guttatus. Flowers of these hybrid varieties raised by M. Heinemann 
were sent in April last to the Editors of the journal above referred to, and from 
them we borrow the accompanying woodcut of one of the prettiest and most dis¬ 
tinct among them. These hybrids varied in colour from purple to greenish white, 
many of the flowers being sprinkled with pink dots, which gave a very striking 
