Helleborus lividus Ait.

Spice Flower detail In the field

Family: RANUNCULACEAE

Genus: Helleborus

Catalan common name: Palònia blanca. Palònia borda.

Province distribution: Balearic Islands.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Cabrera.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Mediterranean (Balearic)

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Chameophyte.

Habitats: Rock crevices and cliff faces. Shady soils and rock creviceses.

Characteristics: This beautiful endemism can be found at the feet of rocks, in shady places, in the Serra de Tramuntana (northern mountain range) and on the island of Cabrera. We can distinguish it by its leaves which are coriaceous to the touch and divided into three leaflets which are several cm long; the upper side is shiny and can have a pattern of white lines. The lower side can take on reddish hues. The flowers are made up of five greenish, petal-like sepals. It flowers at the end of winter and beginning of spring. With these morphologies it cannot be mistaken for any other plant, except for the peony (Paeonia cambessedesii) which also has compound leaves and lives in the same places, but this does not have coriaceous leaves and if it is in flower, then there is no possible confusion.