Veratrum viride Ait.—False hellebore FAMILY: Liliaceae—The Lily
Family (see Amianthium) PHENOLOGY: False hellebore flowers June
to July. DISTRIBUTION: This plant grows in swamps, low wet
places, meadows, pastures, and open woods. PLANT
CHARACTERISTICS: Veratrum viride is a coarse, tall, unbranched
herb, 3 to 6 feet, perennial from a short rhizome; leaves: large
(appearing pleated), alternate in 3-ranks, broad, the bases
sheathing the stems; panicle: terminal, composed of greenish-
yellow to purple, hairy flowers, about 1.5 cm across; tepals: 6,
narrowed at base, not glandular; stamens: 6, filaments free from
the perianth; ovarv: tri-lobed, each lobe terminating in a short
style; fruit: an ovoid capsule, surrounded by the withered
perianth; seeds: large, flat, the embryo small and surrounded by
a broad wing. See Amianthium for illustration. POISONOUS PARTS:
All parts are poisonous, especially the young, succulent growth
in spring. SYMPTOMS: Species vary in physiologically active
principles, yet symptoms of acut