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Helleborus argutifolius
Like its common name suggests, H. argutifolius hails from the island of Corsica and also grows on nearby Sardinia (hellebores.org). The genus is native to much of Europe, from western Great Britain, Spain and Portugal, eastward across the Mediterranean region and central Europe into Romania and Ukraine, and along the north coast of Turkey into the Caucasus. The flowers have five "petals" (actually sepals) surrounding a ring of small, cup-like nectaries (petals modified to hold nectar). The sepals do not fall as petals would, but remain on the plant, sometimes for many months. Recent research in Spain suggests that the persistent calyx contributes to the development of the seeds (Herrera 2005). Although the flowers of some species may resemble wild roses (and despite some of their common names, such as "Christmas rose" and "Lenten rose"), hellebores do not belong to the rose family (Rosaceae). Wikipedia
Urban office landscaping.
This plant has large clusters of light green flowers that match the color of the leaves. Each cluster was about 6in wide and each flower about 1in.
Spotted on Feb 3, 2012
Submitted on Feb 4, 2012
2 Comments
Thank you for the ID KarenL!
Looks like some kind of Hellebore - Lenten rose.