Black hellebore (Helleborus niger) or Christmas Rose is a plant of the Helleborus sub-family, used in folk medicine and lethal poisons. Ancient herbologists find it medicinal, and as a toxin it's an element of siege warfare in Greece.
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Hellebore plants change color as they mature. White varieties transition to pink and greenish-pink. Lack of light makes the flower turn green. The petals are actually modified leaves, so in low-light situations they can transition.
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Helleborus niger contains the toxins protoanemonin or ranunculin. All plant parts are poisonous. H niger has a bitter unpleasant taste to discourage browsing by animals. The natural plant compounds can burn eyes, mouth and throat.
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It can also cause
mouth sores
gastroenteritis (cramps, vomiting, diarrhea)
hematemesis (internal bleeding, vomiting blood.
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White hellebore (Veratrum album) belongs to a different plant family, Melanthiaceae, distantly related to the lilies. It's also poisonous and may have caused the death of Alexander the Great.
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Toxic chemicals and compounds in black hellebore include veratrine, a neurotoxin causing birth defects and heart failure; and the teratogens cyclopamine and jervine, especially linked to malformations of the face such as cyclopia.
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An evergreen, black hellebore is used in ancient world as a remedy to treat such conditions as gout, paralysis and insanity. Until the 16th century it's easily available at the apothecary. It gets its name from the root, which is black or dark.
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Melampus, an ancient mythological shepherd and healer, prescribes milk of a goat who has eaten hellebore as a remedy for madness of the daughters of King Proetus. Gallic men treat arrows with ellebore for hunting. In Ancient Egypt it's a cure for mental illness.
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In the 6th century BCE black hellebore is used to poison the water of besieged Kirrha, Greece, when a horse's hoof uncovers a water pipe. Kirrhans become so sick and weak with diarrhea, the besiegers easily sack the town and slaughter the entire population.
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In antiquity the root is used as a purgative drug and for maniacal disorders. It's said to remove black bile, one of the four humors of Greek medicine. According to humorists, black bile is a body liquid causing depression and gastric ailments.
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From the 1st century BCE its compounds are examined by alchemists seeking the Elixir of Life. In the Middle Ages, the Christmas Rose is considered an ingredient in the ointments and potions of witches.
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According to English legend, the flower blooms at the abbey of St. Thomas, near the date of January 6. Before the Gregorian calendar in 1582 the flower blooms on Christmas Day.
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When Christmas Day arrives under the new Gregorian calendar the flower doesn't bloom. It's considered a bad omen. England refuses to adopt the Gregorian calendar until 1751.
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Black hellebore is one of the official drugs of the Habsburg Empire, Austria (1282 - 1918). Hellebore makes a good garden plant but can be fussy about soil, preferring humus, which forms from decay of dead plants and animals, and nutrient-rich alps.
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Poisoning can occur with ingestion or handling of the plant. Alkaloids of this plant can cause rashes and dermatitis. Eating hellebore, especially in large quantities, causes the most severe reactions.
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Symptoms include
burning in mouth and throat
drooling
vomiting
abdominal cramps
diarrhea
nervous tremors
abnormal heartbeat
depression
death
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Toxins include cardiac glycosides in the roots, which slow down the heart and increase beat strength. For these compounds black hellebore has been tried in modern medicine, but the toxicity levels are too dangerous.
Black hellebore is a sub-family of the buttercups. Ranunculin and protoanemonin, toxins in the leaves and sap, are found in members of the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. Buttercups release the toxins if picked, crushed or chewed.
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Hellebore is also known for its resilience in cool climates and ability to bloom in winter. It flowers from midwinter on. The plant likes alpine slopes and meadows in parts of Europe including Switzerland, southern Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and northern Italy.
Up to the 20th century H. niger in Europe is recommended to treat:
bloating
menstrual irregularity
female obstructions
hysteric and hypochondriac fits
melancholy
madness
epilepsy
leprosy
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Documented unwanted effects include inflammations of gastric or intestinal mucous membranes, skin eruptions and blisters in or under skin. Therapeutically used as sneezing powder it irritates nasal mucosa. It's also used as insecticide.
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