False Helleborine, also known as White Hellebore and White Veratrum (Veratrum album) is a highly poisonous perennial bulbous herb of the family Liliaceae, native to southern and central Europe where it grows in damp meadows in the hills and mountains, often forming spreading masses. It has a massive root system, a short vertical rhizome covered with remnants of old leaf stalks, and a robust, unbranched stem. The leaves are alternate, broadly ovate to elliptic and have sheathing bases and are longitudinally grooved along the prominent veins. The flowers are numerous, yellowish-green in colour and arranged in compound panicles, the lower-most flowers being bisexual and the upper ones usually male. The fruit is a downy capsule.
The rhizome and roots of False Helleborine contain several toxic alkaloids including veratrine, protoveratrine A and protoveratrine B which widen the lumen of blood vessels, and lower blood pressure. The roots and rhizome are used in medicine to prepare anti-hypersensitivity and heart medicines. Although formerly used in herbal medicine, the practise is now banned in Britain due to the extreme toxicity of the plant, only one or two grams being sufficient to cause collapse, severe vomiting, diarrhoea, breathing difficulties and death. Research False Helleborine
Sabadilla (Schoenocaulon officinale) is a Mexican liliaceous plant. It bears linear, grass-like leaves and dense racemes of yellowish flowers. Its seeds, which contain the alkaloidveratrine, were formerly used in medicine as an emetic and purgative. Now the seeds are used to prepare insecticide. Research Sabadilla
Veratrine is an alkaloid obtained from sabadilla seeds. It forms colourless crystals, that have a bittertaste and excite sneezing. It was formerly used in medicine as an external application to produce local anaesthesia, but is an active poison if taken internally. Research Veratrine
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research False Helleborine
