Health Benefits
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Trending
    • Health benefits of Maltese cross
    • Health benefits of Indian round gourd
    • Health benefits of Azores Laurel
    • Health benefits of Wild Kumquat
    • Health benefits of Little Medick
    • Health benefits of Roundleaf alumroot
    • Health benefits of Wild Caper Bush
    • Health benefits of Wood nettle
    Health Benefits
    Health Benefits
    Home»Herbs and Spices»Facts and Benefits of False Hellebore (American Hellebore)
    Herbs and Spices

    Facts and Benefits of False Hellebore (American Hellebore)

    By SylviaDecember 21, 2017Updated:December 22, 2017No Comments6 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

    Facts and Benefits of False Hellebore

    False Hellebore (American Hellebore) Quick Facts
    Name: False Hellebore (American Hellebore)
    Scientific Name: Veratrum viride
    Origin Eastern and western North America
    Shapes Capsule 1.5–3 cm long, which splits into three sections at maturity
    Taste Acrid
    False Hellebore (American Hellebore) scientifically known as Veratrum viride is a species of Veratrum native to eastern and western North America. It is extremely toxic so it is considered a pest plant by farmers with livestock. The species has acquired a large number of other common names within its native range, including Indian Poke, Indian Hellebore, Green False Hellebore, giant false-helleborine, American False Hellebore, American White Hellebore, Bear Corn, Big Hellebore, Corn Lily, Devils Bite, Duck Retten, Itch-weed, Itchweed, Poor Annie, swamp hellebore, Blue Hellebore, Tickleweed, bugbane and green hellebore. The native North American plant was named according to its toxic properties that were like those of the true hellebores of Eurasia. The plant belongs to Liliaceae (Lily family). Almost all parts of the plant are highly poisonous and use of this plant should be carried out with great caution and preferably only under the supervision of a qualified practitioner. The plant reproduces through rhizome growth as well as seeds.

    Plant Description

    False Hellebore is an herbaceous perennial plant that grows about 0.7–2 m tall. The plant is found growing in moist to wet meadows, thickets, swamps, stream-banks, and open forests from the lowland and all the way to the alpine zones. It prefers deep fertile moisture retentive humus-rich soil and normally dislikes dry soils, preferring to grow in a bog garden. The plant has solid green stem. Leaves are spirally arranged, 10–35 cm long and 5–20 cm broad, elliptic to broad lanceolate ending in a short point, heavily ribbed and hairy on the underside. The leaves are usually oval to linear.

    Flower & Fruits

    Flowers are numerous, produced in a large branched inflorescence 30–70 cm tall; each flower is star shaped 5–12 mm long, with six green to yellow-green tepals. The flowers are short pedicled and often unisexual. Flowering usually occurs from Jul to August. Fruit is a capsule 1.5–3 cm long, which splits into three sections at maturity to release the numerous flat 8–10 mm (0.3 to 0.4 in) diameter seeds.

    Varieties

    There are two major varieties of false hellebore:

    Veratrum viride var. viride:

    Veratrum viride var. viride grows in eastern North America from southern Quebec as far south as northern Georgia. It is differentiated by the erect or spreading side branches of the inflorescence.

    Veratrum viride var. eschscholzianum:

    Veratrum viride var. eschscholzianum grows in western North America from Alaska and Northwest Territory south along the Coast Range to the Pacific Northwest and northern California. They are wildly growing herbaceous perennials. It is differentiated by the drooping side branches of the inflorescence.

    False Hellebore Image Gallery
    False-Hellebore-plant False-Hellebore-plant
    False-Hellebore--Plant-growing-Wild False-Hellebore--Plant-growing-Wild
    False-Hellebore--Plant-grown-on-pot False-Hellebore--Plant-grown-on-pot

    False-Hellebore--plant-Illustrations False-Hellebore--plant-Illustrations
    False hellebore-root-powder False hellebore-root-powder
    Flowers-of-False-Hellebore Flowers-of-False-Hellebore

    Fruits-of-False-Hellebore Fruits-of-False-Hellebore
    Leaves-of-False-Hellebore Leaves-of-False-Hellebore
    Seeds-of-False-Hellebore-plant Seeds-of-False-Hellebore-plant

    Sketch-of-False-Hellebore-plant Sketch-of-False-Hellebore-plant
    Small-False-Hellebore-Plant Small-False-Hellebore-Plant
    Stem-of-False-Hellebore-plant Stem-of-False-Hellebore-plant

    Traditional Uses and benefits of False Hellebore

    • American Hellebore was used internally to treat pneumonia, peritonitis, epilepsy, pain, asthma, colds, cholera, croup, consumption, dyspepsia, fever, hypertension, herpes, gout, headache, inflammation, neuralgia, whooping cough, puerperal fever, scarlet fever, sciatica, rheumatism, shingles, toothache, scrofulous, tumors and typhus.
    • It was used externally for throat infections and tonsillitis (as a gargle solution), neuralgia, and skin irritations.
    • It has been used in the past against high blood pressure and rapid heartbeat.
    • Standardized extract of V. viride alkaloids known as alkavervir was used in the 1950s and 1960s as an antihypertensive.
    • Several native North American Indian tribes used it mainly externally in the treatment of wounds, pain etc.
    • Some of these alkaloids lower blood pressure and dilate the peripheral vessels – they have, for example, been used in conventional medicine to treat high blood pressure and rapid heartbeat.
    • Root is analgesic, diaphoretic, emetic, expectorant, febrifuge, narcotic and sedative.
    • Root has been used in the treatment of acute cases of pneumonia, peritonitis and threatened apoplexy.
    • Decoction of the root has been used in the treatment of chronic coughs and constipation.
    • Portion of the root has been chewed, or a decoction used, in the treatment of stomach pain.
    • Root has been used to make a skin wash and compresses for bruises, sprains and fractures.
    • Powdered root has been applied as a healing agent to wounds and as a delousing agent.
    • Stems have been scraped and the powder snuffed to induce sneezing.
    • An infusion of the leaves has been used as a wash to treat aches and pains.
    • Plant is used in homeopathic preparations to slow the heart rate.
    • It encourages fall of Systolic and Diastolic blood pressure.
    • It also treats Bradycardia.
    • It is best used to treat congestion of lungs, acute rheumatic fever with scanty red urine, Sick headache with violet Nausea and vomiting, basilar meningitis, cerebrospinal diseases and twitching.

    Dosage

    Mode of Administration: The herb can be found in whole and powdered forms.

    Daily Dose: The daily dose is 100 mg.

    Storage: The drug should be clearly labeled as “poisonous” and stored in a safe place.

    Other Facts

    • Root contains even higher concentrations than the aerial parts.
    • Plant was used by some tribes to elect a new leader. All the candidates would eat the root, and the last to start vomiting would become the new leader.
    • After the plant dies down in the autumn and has been frosted, the toxins decrease and the plant becomes harmless to animals.
    • Dried and powdered root is used as an insecticide and a parasiticide.
    • It is also effective against caterpillars and mammals so great caution is advised.
    • Roots have been grated then added to the laundry water and used to clean clothing.
    • Plants from this genus are powdered to help create the garden insecticide, “Hellebore”.
    • Gitxsan people dried and sliced the rhizome, then burnt it to drive away evil spirits.
    • Hunters have added it to their laundry to remove the smell of human.
    • The Wet’suwet’en believed you would become lucky if you bathed in liquid from the roots of Indian hellebore.
    • Fiber obtained from the stem is used for weaving wallets etc.

    Precautions

    • Plant is highly toxic, causing nausea and vomiting.
    • If the poison is not evacuated, cold sweat and vertigo appears, respiration slows cardiac rhythm and blood pressure falls, eventually leading to death.
    • All parts of the plant are highly poisonous.
    • Any use of this plant should be carried out with great caution and preferably only under the supervision of a qualified practitioner.
    • Even when applied externally to unbroken skin it has been known to cause side-effects.
    • High doses may cause vomiting and Diarrhea.
    • Avoid during Pregnancy and breastfeeding.
    • It contains several steroidal alkaloids that may cause severe slowing of heart rate and breathing, paralysis, and a number of other painful and debilitating symptoms.
    • Herb reduces blood pressure and slows down the pulse due to the alkaloid germitrin.
    • First symptoms of poisoning are sneezing, lacrimation, salivation, vomiting, diarrhea, burning sensation in the mouth and pharyngeal space, and inability to swallow; then, following resorption: paresthesia, vertigo, possible blindness, paralysis of the limbs; also mild convulsions, lowering of cardiac frequency, cardiac arrhythmias and hypotension.
    • Death occurs either through systolic cardiac arrest or through asphyxiation.
    • Alkaloids can also be absorbed through uninjured skin.

    References:

    https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=42764#null

    https://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/53080/

    https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=vevi

    https://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/h/helgre16.html

    http://www.pfaf.org/User/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Veratrum+viride

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veratrum_viride

    81%
    81%
    Awesome

    Comments

    comments

    F Herbs and Spices
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleHealth Benefits of Mulberries
    Next Article Facts and benefits of Bignay

    Related Posts

    Health benefits of Maltese cross

    September 29, 2023

    Health benefits of Azores Laurel

    September 24, 2023

    Health benefits of Little Medick

    September 17, 2023

    Comments are closed.

    False Hellebore Facts

    Name False Hellebore
    Scientific Name Veratrum viride
    Native Eastern and western North America
    Common Names Indian Poke, Indian Hellebore, False Hellebore, Green False Hellebore, giant false-helleborine, American False Hellebore, American White Hellebore, Bear Corn, Big Hellebore, Corn Lily, Devils Bite, Duck Retten, Itch-weed, Itchweed, Poor Annie, swamp hellebore
    Name in Other Languages English: American false hellebore, American white-hellebore, American-hellebore, Indian poke, Giant false helleborine, Green false hellebore, Green veratrum, Itchweed, American wild, green hellebore, hellebore, Indian hellebore, Indian Poke
    French: Vérâtre blanc, Varaire, Vérâtre verti, Vérâtre vert, Hellébore, Hellébore blanc, Tabac du diable, Varaire vert
    German: Grüner Germer
    Swedish: Grön nysrot
    Plant Growth Habit Herbaceous perennial plant
    Growing Climate Found growing in moist to wet meadows, thickets, swamps, stream-banks, and open forests from the lowland and all the way to the alpine zones
    Soil Deep fertile moisture retentive humus-rich soil.
    Plant Size 0.7–2 m tall
    Stem Solid green stem
    Leaf Spirally arranged, 10–35 cm long and 5–20 cm broad, elliptic to broad lanceolate ending in a short point
    Flowering Periods Jul to August
    Flower Numerous, produced in a large branched inflorescence 30–70 cm tall; each flower is star shaped 5–12 mm long, with six green to yellow-green tepals.
    Fruit Capsule 1.5–3 cm long, which splits into three sections at maturity to release the numerous flat 8–10 mm (0.3 to 0.4 in) diameter seeds.
    Taste Acrid
    Seed Numerous flattened, light brown and winged 8–10 mm diameter seeds
    Plant Parts Used Dried rhizome and roots, bulbs
    Varieties
    • Veratrum viride var. viride.
    • Veratrum viride var. eschscholzianum
    Culinary Uses
    • One report says that the leaves have been used in soups.

    False Hellebore Scientific Classification

    Scientific Name: Veratrum viride

    Rank Scientific Name & (Common Name)
    Kingdom Plantae (Plants)
    Subkingdom Tracheobionta (Vascular plants)
    Infrakingdom Streptophyta  (land plants)
    Superdivision Spermatophyta (Seed plants)
    Division Magnoliophyta (Flowering plants)
    Class Liliopsida (Monocotyledons)
    Subclass Liliidae
    Order Liliales
    Family Liliaceae (Lily family)
    Genus Veratrum L. (false hellebore)
    Species Veratrum viride Aiton (green false hellebore)
    Synonyms
    • Helonias viridis (Aiton) Ker Gawl.
    • Veratrum viride subsp. eschscholtzii
    Categories
    • Beverages (70)
    • Dairy (28)
    • Equipment (5)
    • Essential OIls (189)
    • Facts (2,175)
    • Foods (228)
    • Fruits (409)
    • Grains and Cereals (30)
    • Health & Beauty (467)
    • Herbs and Spices (1,084)
    • Medicines (7)
    • Nutritional value (27)
    • Nuts and seeds (57)
    • Oils (80)
    • Pets (1)
    • Poultry & Seafoods (67)
    • Pulses and Beans (16)
    • Reviews (22)
    • supplement (2)
    • Vegetables (210)

    Health benefits of Maltese cross

    Health benefits of Indian round gourd

    Health benefits of Azores Laurel

    Health benefits of Wild Kumquat

    Health benefits of Little Medick

    Health benefits of Roundleaf alumroot

    ABOUT
    1 Home
    About us
    Contact us

    Policy
    Privacy Policy
    Terms & conditions
    Disclaimer
    Contact us at:
    e-mail: [email protected]
    Skype: healthbenefit55
    © 2023 www.healthbenefitstimes.com All rights reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.