Helleborus dumetorum (Helleborus dumetorum)
Description
“Pet poisonous” – Toxic parts: rootstock, leaves The genus was established by Carl Linnaeus in volume one of his Species Plantarum in 1753. The scientific name Helleborus derives from the ancient greek word (helléboros), the name for H. orientalis, constructed from (heleîn), meaning "to injure", and (borá), meaning "food". Hellebore species and hybrids: Helleborus viridis (top left); H. foetidus (top right) with cross-section; flowers of various specimens of H. × hybridus, including doubles Various species of this genus originated in Europe and Asia. The greatest concentration of species occurs in the Balkans. One atypical species (H. thibetanus) comes from western China; another atypical species (H. vesicarius) inhabits a small area on the border between Turkey and Syria. The flowers have five petal-like sepals surrounding a ring of small, cup-like nectaries which are actually "petals" modified to hold nectar. The sepals do not fall as petals would, but remain on the plant, sometimes for many months. Recent research in Spain suggests that the persistence of the sepals contributes to the development of the seeds (Herrera 2005).
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum:
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Ranunculales
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Family: Ranunculaceae
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Genus: Helleborus
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