Helleborus niger

Helleborus niger subsp. niger, Ferlach, Karawanken, Kärnten, Austria

Helleborus niger subsp. niger flower detail, Ferlach, Karawanken, Kärnten, Austria

Taxonavigation

Taxonavigation: Ranunculales
Classification System: APG IV Superregnum: Eukaryota Regnum: Plantae Cladus: Angiosperms Cladus: Eudicots Ordo: Ranunculales

Familia: Ranunculaceae
Subfamilia: Ranunculoideae
Tribus: Helleboreae
Genus: Helleborus
Sectio: H. sect. Helleborus
Species: Helleborus niger
Subspecies: H. n. subsp. macranthus – H. n. subsp. niger

Name

Helleborus niger L., Sp. Pl. 1: 558 (1753).

Hybrids

• Helleborus × ballardiae B.Mathew
• Helleborus × ericsmithii B.Mathew
• Helleborus × lemonnierae Demoly
  

Note: These are all artificial hybrids.

Distribution

Native distribution areas:

Continental: Europe Northern Europe Sweden (casual). Middle Europe Austria, Czechoslovakia (Czech Republic, casual), Germany, Switzerland. Southwestern Europe France (doubtfully native). Southeastern Europe Italy, Yugoslavia (Croatia, Slovenia) Eastern Europe (all casual except indicated otherwise) Belarus, Baltic States (Estonia, Kaliningrad, Latvia, Lithuania), Krym, Central European Russia, Northwest European Russia, Ukraine (alien). References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition

References

Primary references

• Linnaeus, C. 1753. Species Plantarum. Tomus I: 558. Reference page. 

Additional references

• Tutin, T.G., Burges, N.A., Chater, A.O., Edmondson, J.R., Heywood, V.H., Moore, D.M., Valentine, D.H., Walters, S.M. & Webb, D.A. (eds.) 1993. Flora Europaea. Volume 1: Psilotaceae to Platanaceae. 2nd edition, xlvi + 581 pp., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (UK) / New York / Melbourne, ISBN 0-521-41007-X. Reference page. 
• Hassler, M. & Muer, T. 2022. Flora Germanica: alle Farn- und Blütenpflanzen Deutschlands in Text und Bild. Verlag Regionalkultur (Ubstadt-Weiher). ISBN 978-3-95505-333-8 Reference page. 

Links

• Govaerts, R. et al. 2025. Helleborus niger in Kew Science Plants of the World Online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2025 Mar 29. Reference page. 
• International Plant Names Index. 2025. Helleborus niger. Published online. Accessed: 29 Mar 2025. Reference page.
• Hassler, M. 2025. World Plants. Synonymic Checklist and Distribution of the World Flora. . Helleborus niger. Accessed: 29 Mar 2025.
• Hassler, M. 2025. Helleborus niger. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2025. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published online. Accessed: 2025 Mar 29. Reference page. 

Vernacular names

العربية: خربق أسود
azərbaycanca: Qara şaxtagülü
български: Черен кукуряк
català: Hel·lèbor negre
čeština: Čemeřice černá
Cymraeg: Pelydr Du
dansk: Almindelig Julerose
Deutsch: Schwarze Nieswurz
dolnoserbski: Carny kichac
English: Black Hellebore
Esperanto: Nigra heleboro
español: Eléboro negro
فارسی: خربق سیاه
suomi: Vaaleajouluruusu
français: Hellébore noir
Gaelg: Blaa Nollick
हिन्दी: कटुकी
hrvatski: Velecvjetni kukurijek
hornjoserbsce: Čorna čemjerca
magyar: Fekete hunyor
italiano: Elleboro nero
日本語: クリスマスローズ
Nederlands: Kerstroos
norsk: Julerose
polski: Ciemiernik biały
русский: Морозник чёрный
srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски: Velecvjetni kukurijek
slovenčina: Čemerica čierna
slovenščina: Črni teloh
српски / srpski: Црни кукурек
svenska: Julros
Türkçe: Noel gülü
中文: 聖誕玫瑰

For more multimedia, look at Helleborus niger on Wikimedia Commons.