{{short description|Species of plant}} {{Speciesbox | image = Helleborus viridis 003.JPG | genus = Helleborus | species = viridis | authority = L. }}
'''''Helleborus viridis''''', commonly called '''green hellebore''',<ref name=BSBI07>{{BSBI 2007 |accessdate=2014-10-17 }}</ref><ref>{{PLANTS|id=HEVI|taxon=Helleborus viridis|accessdate=19 January 2016}}</ref> is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to central and western Europe, including southern England. All parts of the plant are poisonous.<ref name="North67">{{cite book |last=North |first=Pamela Mildred |title=Poisonous plants and fungi in color |publisher=Blandford Press |year=1967 |location=London |page=117 |oclc=955264}}</ref>
It was one of many plants first described by Linnaeus in volume one of the 1753 (tenth) edition of his ''Species Plantarum''.<ref>{{cite book | author=Linnaeus, Carl | title=Species Plantarum| publisher=Laurentii Salvii |location=Stockholm | year=1753|chapter= Tomus I | volume=1| page=558|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/358576|language=la}}</ref> The Latin species epithet ''viridis'' means 'green'.
Two subspecies are recognised: *''Helleborus viridis'' subsp. ''viridis'' from central Europe and the maritime Alps *''Helleborus viridis'' subsp. ''occidentalis'' from western Europe including the British Isles.<ref name=FE/>
Other common names recorded include '''bastard hellebore''', '''bear's foot''', and '''boar's foot'''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Wagstaff|first=D. Jesse|title=International Poisonous Plants Checklist: An Evidence-Based Reference|publisher=CRC Press|date=2008|pages=188|isbn=9781420062533|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h7tbd-5ZAQ8C&q=%22+Helleborus+viridis+%22&pg=PA188}}</ref>
Growing to around {{cvt|60|cm|in|abbr=on}} tall, the green hellebore is a semi-evergreen perennial plant. The flowers appear in spring (February to April).<ref name = "North67"/> They have five large green oval sepals with pointed tips, and seven to twelve much smaller petals. The roots are rhizomatous.<ref name=CF>{{cite book|last=Moss|first=Charles Edward |title=The Cambridge British Flora|publisher=Cambridge University Press|date=1914|pages=108|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X7M8AAAAIAAJ&q=%22+Helleborus+viridis+%22&pg=PA108}}</ref> Subspecies ''viridis'' has flowers of {{Convert|4–5|cm|in|abbr=on}} diameter and leaves covered with fine hairs, while the flowers of subspecies ''occidentalis'' are smaller (3–4 cm diameter) and its leaves are smooth.<ref name="Servettaz">{{cite journal|author1=Servettaz, O. |author2=Colombo, M. L. |author3=Tomè, F. |date=1988|title=Taxonomical investigations on ''Helleborus viridis'' s. l. (Ranunculaceae) in Northern Italy|journal=Plant Systematics and Evolution|volume=160|issue=3–4|pages=181–88|doi=10.1007/BF00936045|bibcode=1988PSyEv.160..181S |s2cid=30745075 }}</ref> The green hellebore is found in western and central Europe, east to eastern Austria and south to northern Italy.<ref name=FE>{{cite web |website=Flora Europaea |title=''Helleborus viridis'' L |publisher=Royal Botanical Garden Edinburgh |url=http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/cgi-bin/nph-readbtree.pl/feout?FAMILY_XREF=&GENUS_XREF=Helleborus&SPECIES_XREF=viridis&TAXON_NAME_XREF=&RANK= |accessdate=29 January 2015}}</ref> It grows on limestone and chalk-based soils in the south of England.<ref name = "North67"/>
It has become invasive in North America, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, and northern Germany.<ref name=CF/>
Consumption of any part of the plant can lead to severe vomiting and seizures.<ref name = "North67"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{Commons-inline}} *{{Wikispecies-inline}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q149328}}
viridis Category:Plants described in 1753 Category:Botanical taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Category:Flora of Middle Europe Category:Flora of Northern Europe