Image of black hellebore

Description:

Slo.: rni teloh - Habitat: border between pasture and mixed wood; slightly inclined mountain slope, southeast aspect; colluvial, skeletal, calcareous ground; dry place; elevation 630 m (2.070 feet); average precipitations ~ 3.000 mm/year, average temperature 7-9 deg C, alpine phytogeographical region. - Substratum: soil. - Comment: Helleborus niger is another plant, which fuels my admiration year after year. Its large, up to 10 cm in diameter, snow-white flowers (when young) with their unusual structure (large white 'petals' are actually sepals!) are very beautifully shaped. But they are not only white! Many other shades from yellow, greenish, vividly pink, wine-red, to purple can be found during their growth. The first flowers already appear in earl winter, sometimes even in late November, if the weather allows and bloom well in April, even in May on cool places with lot of snow during the winter. The plant is a floral element of south and east Alps It is widely exploited in horticulture. Helleborus niger is especially valued in Japan, where Helleborus societies are establish, which organize trips to European places where displays of wild growing plants can be admired. In west Slovenian in Upper Soa river valley and elsewhere Helleborus niger is too common plant to be truly admired. In February and March there are zillions of plants flowering everywhere, in forests, on grassland and especially along wood edges. On many places they represent the most dominant flowering plant not only during late winter but also in early spring. How many species genus Helleborus comprise is still an open question. The number varies from 5 to 20, depending on to whom you trust. Many of them are extremely polymorphic and any kind of intermediate forms can be found. Protected according to: Uredba o zavarovanih prostoiveih rastlinskih vrstah, poglavje A, Uradni list RS, t. 46/2004 (Regulation of protected wild plants, chapter A, Official Gazette of Republic Slovenia, no. 46/2004), (2004). However, protected are only underground parts and seeds (Oo category). Protected also in some other EU states. Ref.: (1) D. Aeschimann, K. Lauber, D.M. Moser, J.P. Theurillat, Flora Alpina, Vol. 1., Haupt (2004), p 122. (2) K. Lauber and G. Wagner, Flora Helvetica, 5. Auflage, Haupt (2012), p 100. (3) M.A. Fischer, W. Adler, K. Oswald, Exkursionsflora fr sterreich, Liechtenstein und Sdtirol, LO Landesmuseen, Linz, Austria (2005), p 276. (4) A. Martini et all., Mala Flora Slovenije (Flora of Slovenia - Key) (in Slovenian), Tehnina Zaloba Slovenije (2007), p 127. (5) P. Skoberne, Zavarovane rastline Slovenije (Protected Plants of Slovenia), Mladinska Kniga (2007) (in Slovenian), p 103.