Helleborus odorus L.

Posted byTrajche DimitrovskiPosted inUncategorized

Taxonomy: Fam. Ranunculaceae// Genus: Helleborus// Species: Helleborus odorus L.

Determined according to the botanical key provided by Micevski (1985).

Lifeform: Perennial plant. Hemicryptophyte according to the Raunkiær system.

Distribution: Native from Hungary to the Balkan Peninsula according to the Plants of the World Online portal (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew). Also native to Italy according to The Euro+Med Plantbase (Raab-Straube et al., 2014+).

Habitat: Woods in oak end European beech forests, alongside roads.

Recorded in the Zletovska River basin- gorge of the Zletovska River and waterfalls of Venechka River.

Flowering period: Late winter to early spring.

Locality: gorge of the Zletovska River. Date: 17.05.2026.

Helleborus odorus– habit. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– habit. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– habit. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– habit. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– habit. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– habit. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– habit. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– habit. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– habit. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– stem with fruiting perianths. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– stem with fruiting perianths. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– inflorescence. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– inflorescence. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– fruiting perianths. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– fruiting perianths. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– fruiting perianths. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– fruiting perianths. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– fruiting perianths. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– folicles. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– folicles. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– folicles. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– perianth segments. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– perianth segments. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– stem with bracts. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– bract. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– abaxial side of bract. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– leaves. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– leaves. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– leaves. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– leaves. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– leaves. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– leaves. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– adaxial side of leaves. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– abaxial side of leaves. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– abaxial side of leaves. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– leaf petiole. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– leaf petiole. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– petioles and stems. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– petioles and stems. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– petioles and stems. Osogovo – gorge of the Zletovska River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

Locality: Waterfalls of Venechka River. Date: 17.05.2026

Helleborus odorus– habit. Osogovo – waterfalls of the Venechka River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– habit. Osogovo – waterfalls of the Venechka River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– habit. Osogovo – waterfalls of the Venechka River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– stem with fruiting perianths. Osogovo – waterfalls of the Venechka River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– stem with fruiting perianths. Osogovo – waterfalls of the Venechka River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– perianth segments. Osogovo – waterfalls of the Venechka River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– perianth segments. Osogovo – waterfalls of the Venechka River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– folicles. Osogovo – waterfalls of the Venechka River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– folicles. Osogovo – waterfalls of the Venechka River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– bracts. Osogovo – waterfalls of the Venechka River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– leaves. Osogovo – waterfalls of the Venechka River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– leaves. Osogovo – waterfalls of the Venechka River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– leaf. Osogovo – waterfalls of the Venechka River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– leaf. Osogovo – waterfalls of the Venechka River, 17.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

Scaled images. Specimen from the gorge of Zletovska River.

Helleborus odorus– stem with fruiting periants. Scale in cm. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– leaf. Scale in cm. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Helleborus odorus– fruiting periant. Scale in cm. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

References:

Helleborus odorus Waldst. & Kit. ex Willd. Plants of the World Online portal, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:711351-1 [Accessed 19.05.2026].

Helleborus odorus. Raab-Straube, E. von, Hand, R., Hörandl, E. & Nardi, E. 2014+: Ranunculaceae. – In: Euro+Med PlantBase – the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity. Published at https://europlusmed.org/. https://europlusmed.org/cdm_dataportal/taxon/12d3b48d-2cc0-4c65-ae24-9778ddf8a67 [Accessed 19.05.2026].

Helleborus odorus. Raab-Straube, E. von, Hand, R., Hörandl, E. & Nardi, E. 2014+: Ranunculaceae. – In: Euro+Med PlantBase – the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity. Published at https://europlusmed.org/. https://europlusmed.org/cdm_dataportal/taxon/12d3b48d-2cc0-4c65-ae24-9778ddf8a67a [Accessed 19.05.2026].

Micevski, K. 1985. Helleborus L., The Flora of SR Macedonia, Vol. 1, Book 1. Skopje: Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, pp. 116–145.

Tutin, T. G. 1964. Helleborus L. In Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M., & Webb, D. A. (eds.), Flora Europaea. Volume 1. Lycopodiaceae to Platanaceae. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 93–94.