White Hellebore

At a glance

Origin / distribution: Turkey, US(FL), Egypt, Spain, UK, USSR

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Emetic, Expectorant, Felon, Laxative

Science studied: ACETIC-ACID, ALKALOIDS, ALKAMINE-X, ANGELOYL-ZYGADENILIC-ACID-LACTONE

Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗

Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.

Names and identity

Family: Liliaceae

Scientific name: Veratrum album

Common names: White Hellebore, čemerica belaja, Ak çöpleme, Ağ asırqal, Ballestera blanca, Baltasis čemerys, Blanka heleboro, Běła kichawa, Ciemiężyca biała, Dodenwaad, Dokuztepeli, European white-hellebore, Gemeiner Germer, Giant False-helleborine, HELÉBORO-BRANCO, Hnerrarót, Hvid foldblad

POWO: 30192264-2 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone

History

The source record documents this plant in Turkey, US(FL), Egypt, Spain, UK, USSR.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

• Emetic
• Expectorant
• Felon
• Laxative
• Neuralgia
• Poison
• Purgative
• Rodenticide

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

• Turkey
• US(FL)
• Egypt
• Spain
• UK
• USSR

Documented cultural uses

• Emetic
• Expectorant
• Felon
• Laxative
• Neuralgia
• Poison
• Purgative
• Rodenticide
• Scabies
• Sedative
• Cathartic
• Errhine

Cultural record detail

These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.

• Emetic · Turkey · "
• Expectorant · Turkey · "
• Felon · US(FL) · "
• Laxative · Turkey · "
• Neuralgia · Egypt · "
• Poison · Spain · "
• Purgative · Egypt · "
• Rodenticide · UK · "
• Scabies · Turkey · "
• Scabies · Egypt · "
• Sedative · Turkey · "
• Cathartic · Turkey · "
• Errhine · Turkey · "
• Gout · Egypt · "
• Insanity · Egypt · "
• Itch · Egypt · "
• Emetic · Egypt · "
• Nervine · Turkey · "
• Poison · Turkey · "
• Sternutatory · Egypt · "
• Sudorific · Turkey · "
• Tumor · USSR · "
• Vermifuge · Turkey · "

Contemporary uses

Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.

Scientific research

Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.

Indexed research records

• Examination of effect of jervine purified from the Veratrum album on changes in testicular tissue of varicocele-induced rats. · 2026 source ↗
• Gastroprotective activity of Jervine alkaloid from Veratrum album on gastric ulcer in rat · 2025 source ↗
• Masting events deplete carbon storage in a clonal perennial herb, Veratrum album subsp. oxysepalum · 2025 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

• ACETIC-ACID
• ALKALOIDS
• ALKAMINE-X
• ANGELOYL-ZYGADENILIC-ACID-LACTONE
• CHELIDONIC-ACID
• DEACETYLGERMITETRINE
• FRUCTOSE
• GERALBINE
• GERMITETRINE
• GLUCOSE
• GLUCOVERACINTINE
• ISORUBIJERVINE
• JERVINE
• LOVERAINE
• 20-(2-METHYL-1-PYRROLIN-5-OYL)-4-PREGNEN-3-ONE
• PROTOVERATRINE-A

Legality

No exact international trade listing was returned by the CITES checklist for this accepted name. Country-specific law is not assessed here.

Consult the CITES species checklist for current international and national requirements.

Reference images

Sources

Plants of the World Online (POWO) · Kew data terms; cite POWO/WCVP

World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) · CC BY 3.0

CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive

Contributions and revisions

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