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THE MORAL OF FLOWERS. 
BLACK HELLEBORE, or CHRISTMAS ROSE. 
1IELLEBORUS 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, particu¬ 
larly 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 administered to the covetous: I know not 
whether reason does not consign all Anticyra for their 
use.” This species was cultivated by Gerarde in 1596, 
