^ BLACK HELLEBORE. 1333

teril Bi>a] tar ^ er ° US ^ ellea ^ K Stamens 30 to 64. Ovaries 3 to 10. Stigmastic a] nv.’i , 0 ,. 1 cu ^ ar ‘ Capsules coriaceous. Seeds in a double row, ellip-se .^bihcated, (D. C. ) 1

°ne, if. t IlA \ Leaves radical, pedatisect, quite smooth. Scape leafless,

^ two-fleered, bracteate (D. C. )

br oW e %e several inches long, tuberculated, horizontal, scaly, blackishr ° c( --fibr Xtemall - y ’ "kite internally, with many dependent, long, simple0v ’ate-l a eS ' Leaves on cylindrical stalks from 4 to 8 inches long ; lobesSepafo o nceo ^ ate ? serrate near the point. Scape shorter than the petiole,tnali b Vate . or r °undish, large, white, slightly tinged with pink, eveu-^ic/'f.c. eC ° m ’ n £ S reeu - Petals green, tubular, shorter than the stamens.

}f An ^P an y seeded. Seeds black, shining.

J^^^^^uhalpine, woodland regions in the midland and southern parts

—Hellebore root is imported in barrels and bags from

D Es usually, sometimes from Marseilles .

Maejj i —The root met with in commerce under the name of

of t tt - 0 e ie k° r e root ( radix hellebori niyri; seu radix melampodii) consistsit. -pj P a rts 5 —the rhizome or rootstock, and the fibres which arise from2 °utal 16 ™ zome is Half an inch or less thick, several inches long, hori-? tr ia>. °£,^°utorted, knotty, with transverse ridges and slight longitudinalJ (iten la ]j tlC ^ Jres are numerous, cylindrical, dark brown externally,Odo^j. . y whitish or yellowish white, with central paler cord. Thethat 0 f Ver y feeble and scarcely perceptible, but has been compared totl4Us eous <iIle k ra root ‘ Itis taste is slight at first, then bitterish, acrid, and

‘^^daJ rirLTI0N ‘—It is probable that the roots of Helleborus viridis andIo ot. fp. are sometimes substituted for, or intermixed with, black helleborei >1S P rac ti ce certainly occurs on the continent. The root of Actcea°cca S i 0 s ,° met i me s called radix hellebori nigri falsi) is also said to betot traij - V substituted for the genuine root: its stronger fibres, whentile r0Q . SVerse ly, present the form of a cross. As far as I have observed,Appear s> s °id in this country as black hellebore, have a very uniformnc i . e> an( I from this I have not had reason to suspect any inter-

C 0 ^ ofot her roots.

^f i{ e g ^sition. —Yauquelin (Ann. de Museum-, viii. 87) analysed the root^ r QittZ % hiemalis. This analysis is quoted by Soubeiran ( Nouv.at >d q e Pharm. i.) as the analysis of black hellebore root. Feneullel )r on (Journ. de Pharm. viii 503) analyzed the black hellebore

Feneulle and Capron’s analysis.

r °0t.

Vauquelin’s analysis.

Very acrid oil.Extractive.

Starch.

Vegeto-animal matter.Sugar.

Lignin.

Root of Helleboris hiemalis.

Volatile oil.

Fatty oil.

Volatile acid.Resinous matter.Wax.

Bitter principle.Ulmin

Gallate of potash.Ammoniacal salts.

Root of Helleborus niger.