Looking through the price lists of British gardening catalogues I discovered that here, in Longoio (indeed throughout our region) we are surrounded by wealth as precious as finding oil or gold.

£20.99

It’s all to do with this plant which in the photo below forms the border of the path leading down from our little church.

Indeed, the hellebore also grows by the church’s porch wall:

The botanic genus ‘helleborus’ is an evergreen perennial flowering plant consisting of twenty different species. Sometimes called a winter or Lenten rose it’s not related in any way to roses. In this respect the name’s a misnomer. (As the ‘Christmas star’  is for the Poinsettia, since that plant originally had nothing to do with Christianity as it originates in Mexico and was used by the Aztecs to produce dye from its red leaves).

Italy has five species of hellebore:

Foetidus. So called because it emanates an unpleasant odour. (Yet it’s a popular indoor house plant!)

Lividus. Found only in Sardinia

Viridis. The one that grows around here. Has an unpleasant smell. The petals are greenish, a paler version of its leaves. It’s poisonous but animals are sensible enough to steer clear of it.

Odorus. This is a perfumed variety.

Bocconei. This species is largely found in South Italy.

Niger. This is the one known as Rosa di Natale (Christmas rose) or black or rock hellebore.

Despite the poisonous nature of most varieties, the hellebore has medicinal properties, well known since ancient times. Here is a list of how a hellebore can improve your life:

• The powder obtained from the plant’s roots and rhizomes, when dried, has cardiotonic, narcotic, emetic qualities and cures oedemas. It is also a strong purgative.
• Externally used the hellebore can cure some skin diseases
• The fluid extract of the roots and rhizome of the hellebores which grow around here have sedative properties.
• In literature there’s a reference to the hellebore’s curative properties in Petronius’ Satyricon. Written around 40 A.D. it’s the account of an orgiastic banquet. (Have you seen Fellini’s film?). In the book Crisippus, a Stoic philosopher, “to refine his perceptive capacity clears his mind three times drinking a potion made with hellebore”. There’s also a reference in Floccus’s third satire where hellebore is regarded as an effective remedy against madness. (Good to know that…)
• If one is not interested in the hellebore’s medicinal properties one can always use it to distil a hallucinogenic drink as described by Pliny and Lucian. I have yet to verify this characteristic of the plant.

I’d better check out with Betti’s chemist shop in Bagni di Lucca Villa as the former mayor is an authority on natural cures.

Since, like the poinsettia in Mexico and Asia, the hellebore is here considered something of a weed I should bring some specimens to the UK and sell them in London’s Columbia Road flower market (open on Sundays). Perhaps their sale might help me subsidise my fare?

Incidentally what does the name ‘Hellebore’ mean? It’s actually from ancient Greek ‘ellos’ meaning ‘fawn’ and ‘bore’ meaning ‘eating’. So a hellebore is a plant eaten by fawns? How come they don’t get poisoned I wonder…