17*2 
BLACK HELLEBORE, OR CHRISTMAS ROSE. 
HELLEBORUS NIGER. 
“ While some few lingering blooms the brow befriend 
Of hoary Winter, and with grace serene 
Inwreath the king of storms with mercy’s gentler sheen.” 
This plant is a native of mountainous situations in 
Greece, Italy, Germany, Austria, Idria, and Silesia. 
It is called with us the black hellebore from the dark 
colour of its roots, and the Christmas rose from the time 
of its flowering and the colour of the corolla. It was 
well known to the ancients; Anticyra, a city of Phocis, 
being famous among them for the hellebore it produced. 
It was considered a specific for many diseases, particularly 
for insanity: hence arose the proverb, “ Send the madman 
a voyage to Anticyra.” Horace also notices it in his third 
Satire, book second: the passage is thus translated: — 
“ By far the largest portion of hellebore is to be adminis¬ 
tered to the covetous : I know not whether reason does 
not consign all Anticyra for their use.” This species was 
cultivated by Gerarde in 1596, but the exact time of its 
