hel·le·bore (h
ĕl
ə-bôr
′)
n.1. Any of various plants of the genus Helleborus of the buttercup family, native to Eurasia, most species of which are poisonous.
2. Any of various plants of the genus Veratrum, especially V. viride of North America, having large leaves and greenish flowers and yielding toxic alkaloids used medicinally. Also called false hellebore, veratrum.
[Middle English ellebre, from Old French, from Latin elleborus, from Greek helleboros : perhaps hellos, fawn + -boros, eaten (from bibrōskein, to eat).]
helleboreCalifornia false hellebore
Veratrum californicum