"Zemedelec" wrote in message
...
Quite a collection!

Do you know how the species got its name? Did it come from near the
Hellespont,
or did the dusky colors and shady habitat suggest the environs of Styx and
Acheron?
zemedelec

'Helleborus' comes from the Latin word 'helleborio' meaning mad - the
ancients believed hellebores contained chemical properties which could
induce or control madness. A very popular ingredient in various mysterious
potions and apparently used in witchcraft and other pagan practices. The
plants are toxic in all parts and to varying degrees - some folks are very
sensitive to even the foliage while others encounter reactions from seed
harvesting. Wouldn't advise eating the things :-)

pam - gardengal