Easily confused with : other Corsican Hellebore and Green Hellebore, but unlike Corsican Hellebore which has four protruding pods, Stinking Hellebore has but three. The leaves all also emerge from the stem. Oh, and it stinks!

Uniquely identifiable characteristics

More likely to be found in a garden than growing wild. When it does grow wild, it prefers limey soils in woodland or scrub.

The five petal-like sepals may remain on the plant over-winter. They grow well in full sun and are drought tolerant. The nominally three nectaries (there can be up to ten) within the flower are modified hollow sepals (carpels) which hold nectar and yeast, the presence of which elevates their temperature above that of the ambient.

The roots of Stinking Hellebore contain the alkaloids Nervine, PseudoNervine and Veratridine and has similar medicinal properties as the much more poisonous Black Hellebore. Veratridine is a steroidal-derived alkaloid of the cevane series which acts as a neurotoxin, activating the sodium channels, leading to persistent activation and increased nerve excitation. It is used in ointments for the treatment of neuralgia and rheumatoid pain. Note the epoxy group bridging across between two fused rings, which is probably introducing strain and torsion in the fused rings. The epoxy bridge is probably easily broken at this oxygen atom, increasing the toxicity of Veratridine. It is based upon Imperialine.

This plant, like Helleborus Niger, Helleborus Orientalis, Helleborus Lividus, Helleborus Vesicarius, Helleborus Dumetorium and Helleborus Purpurescens (only some of which are native to the U.K.) contain bufadienolides (the main one being Hellebrin) saponins, and alkaloids such as celliamine and sprintilline. These latter two alkaloids have similar toxicity properties to Aconitine and Veratrine but so far their structure is unknown.

It is deadly toxic, with the cardiac glycosides (bufodienolides) such as Hellebrin and bufadienolides such as the chemically related Hellebrigenin acting upon the heart and the steroidal saponins such as Helleborin and Ranunculosides (sometimes known as Ranunculins) interfering with the digestive system. Ranunculosides are chemically similar to Coumarins (both are lactones). The cardiotonic glycosides Helleborine and Helleborein, which have in the past been taken for hypotension and heart failure. Symptoms of poisoning include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, headaches, mental confusion, numbness of extremities, hypotension, muscular spasms, cardiorespiratory failure and finally death. Some of the poisons can be absorbed through the skin.

Ranunculosides are contained in other members of the Buttercup Family such as Wood Anemone , Marsh Marigold, Globe Flower, Pasque Flower, Hepatica, Clematis and Field Buttercup.

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