Few flowers are out in January but one early flowering plant is the Hellebore. Also out at this time of year are Snowdrops, Winter Aconite, Winter Jasmine, Lungworts and some Heathers. This post describes the main features of the hellebore.
Hellebore flowers have 5 white/spotted or coloured sepals not petals. Inside the cup formed by the sepals are 10 green tube-shaped nectaries, which some botanists believe to be modified petals. Inside this are several rings of anthers and in the centre 5 green styles with receptive stigmas which open before the anthers (protogynous) release pollen. Pollinators are honey-bees and bumble-bees seeking nectar and pollen. Stigmas remain receptive if there are no insect visitors so self-pollination will occur as anthers release pollen.
Lenten Rose Helleborus orientalis is a popular garden plant, native to Greece and Turkey. It flowers in February/March. Most Lenten Rose garden plants are hybrids (Helleborus x hybridus) and may have white, pink, green or purple flowers.
Christmas Rose Helleborus niger is a popular garden plant native to the mountains of Switzerland, Germany and Eastern Europe. It flowers in January and February. It has 5 white sepals with no spots, 10 yellow nectaries, many yellow anthers and 5 carpels with stigma-tipped styles. It is pollinated in its native habitat by bees and flies. It is protogynous with stigmas receptive before pollen release.
Hellebore flowers have 5 white/spotted or coloured sepals not petals. Inside the cup formed by the sepals are 10 green tube-shaped nectaries, which some botanists believe to be modified petals. Inside this are several rings of anthers and in the centre 5 green styles with receptive stigmas which open before the anthers (protogynous) release pollen. Pollinators are honey-bees and bumble-bees seeking nectar and pollen. Stigmas remain receptive if there are no insect visitors so self-pollination will occur as anthers release pollen.
The 5 carpels (ovaries plus styles) become 5 separate fruits.The carpels sit on the receptacle so the ovaries are superior. Each carpel becomes a fruit called a follicle,