2011Protected Hungarian Flowers- Lenten Rose - Set

"Magyar Posta presents a protected Hungarian flower, the purple lenten rose, on its new DOMESTIC REGISTERED regular stamp with no value indicated. The purple lenten rose (Helleborus purpuras-cens) is a dicotyledon and belongs to the but-tercup (Ranunculaceae) family. Its stout rootstock has shoots of thin roots. The long stemmed leaves are palmate with lance-shaped leaflets with serrated edges. The floral axis develops in spring with flowers 6 to 8 cm in diameter. The flower has 5 se-pals, which form a ring of nectaries. Its gy-noecium is comprised of 3 to 6 fused carpels. Its follicle has three longitudinal slits with sev-eral small round seeds. It is found in Hungary in hornbeam and oak forests in the Northern Mountain Range. The sepals do not fall as petals would, but remain on the plant for a long time. The lenten rose flowers in March and April. It is a medicinal plant but highly toxic and to-day is only used in veterinary science. As all hellebores, every part of the plant is poison-ous. (Source: hu.wikipedia.org) The stamp shows the protected Hungarian flower, the purple lenten rose. Under UV light a yellow-green guilloche pattern becomes visible on the stamps. "