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HELLEBORUS NIGER. 
NAT. CLASS,-DICOTYLEDONES; ORDER, — RANUNCULACEÆ. ART. 
CI.ASS,-POLYANDRIA; ORDER, — POLYGYNIA. 
The flower-stalks and leaves rise from a thick, black 
rhizoma, to which the plant owes its spécifie name 
of “ niger,” and from which strong fibrous roots are 
given off. The leaves hâve long pétioles, and their 
limb is subdivided into several oval toothed lobes, ar- 
ranged in a pedate manner. The flower-stalks hâve 
a membranous sheath at their base, and one or two 
scale-like bracts below the showy white flower. Sotne- 
times there are two flowers on the same stalk. The 
calyx consists of five somewhat-rounded sepals, which 
at first are pure white, but after flowering the y are 
persistent and turn green. The corolla has from 
eight to ten tubular petals, which secrete a sweet 
fluid or nectar. These were formerly termed the 
