Hepatica americana (DC.) Ker Gawl.

Round Lobed Liverleaf; Round Lobed Hepatica

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Round Lobed Liverleaf is a native perennial in the Buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). It can be found in all but the southernmost counties in Alabama. Round Lobed Liverleaf grows on rocks and steep slopes in hardwood forests. It is often associated with limestone or basic soils. Round Lobed Liverleaf is a perennial from a short horizontal or ascending rhizome. The leaves are 3-6 inches in height. The blade of the leaf is deeply divided into three equal lobes. The lobes are rounded at the apex. The petiole of the leaf has long white hairs on it. The leaves are green mottled with darker green and silver above and purple below. Flowers are produced singly on a hairy stalk. Each flower is subtended by three large green bracts. Each flower has 5-12 petal like sepals. The sepals vary in color from white, to blue, to pink. The fruit is a cluster of achenes. One of two species of Hepatica or Liverleaf found in Alabama, Round Lobed Liverleaf has been treated both as a species and as a variety. It was also once placed in the genus Anemone, but molecular and morphological studies have recently been trending that it belongs in the genus Hepatica. The common name comes from the doctrine of signatures, a philosophy that believed that plants were placed here for the use of man. Clues, such as the plants shape or color, indicated the use of the plant. Liverleaf leaves resemble a human liver in outline, and the purple-red color of the underside of the leaf further adds to this similarity. Thus the plant was once thought to be an effective treatment for liver disorders. Round Lobed Liverleaf is occasionally offered for sale by wildflower nurseries. It prefers a shaded location with moist, humus rich soil. Because of their small size, plants should be placed near paths to facilitate viewing them. They also make an excellent choice for a rock garden or planting in rock crevices or at the base of hardwood trees.--A. Diamond

**

Native

**