perennial herbs of the lily family having thick toxic rhizomes
<noun.plant>
any plant of the Eurasian genus Helleborus
<noun.plant>
Hellebore \Hel"le*bore\, n. [L. helleborus, elleborus, Gr. ?, ?; cf. F. hell['e]bore, ell['e]bore.] 1. (Bot.) A genus of perennial herbs ({Helleborus}) of the Crowfoot family, mostly having powerfully cathartic and even poisonous qualities. {Helleborus niger} is the European black hellebore, or Christmas rose, blossoming in winter or earliest spring. {Helleborus officinalis} was the officinal hellebore of the ancients.
2. (Bot.) Any plant of several species of the poisonous liliaceous genus {Veratrum}, especially {Veratrum album} and {Veratrum viride}, both called {white hellebore}.