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hepatica

 
Dictionary: he·pat·i·ca
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(hĭ-păt'ĭ-kə) pronunciation
n.
Any of several woodland plants of the genus Hepatica, especially H. americana of eastern North America, having three-lobed leaves and white or lavender flowers. Also called liverleaf.

[Middle English epatica, liverwort, from Medieval Latin hēpatica, from feminine of Latin hēpaticus, of the liver. See hepatic.]


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Columbia Encyclopedia: hepatica
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hepatica (hĭpăt'ĭkə) or liverleaf, any plant of the genus Hepatica of the family Ranunculaceae (buttercup family), low, woodland, spring wildflowers of the north temperate zone, popular for wild gardens. The delicate blossoms, of shades of lavender, pink, and blue, may appear while there is still snow; the three-lobed leaves persist through winter. Hepaticas were formerly used as a domestic remedy. Although often called liverworts, they are unrelated to the primitive plants commonly called liverworts that are classified with the mosses in the division Bryophyta. Hepatica is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Ranunculales, family Ranunculaceae.

WordNet: hepatica
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Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has 2 meanings:

Meaning #1: any of several plants of the genus Hepatica having 3-lobed leaves and white or pinkish flowers in early spring; of moist and mossy subalpine woodland areas of north temperate regions
  Synonym: liverleaf

Meaning #2: a common liverwort
  Synonym: Marchantia polymorpha

Wikipedia: Hepatica
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Hepatica

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Ranunculales
Family: Ranunculaceae
Genus: Hepatica
Mill.
Species

Hepatica nobilis
Hepatica transsilvanica

Hepatica is a genus of herbaceous perennial plants belonging to the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. A native of central and northern Europe, Asia and northeastern North America, Hepatica is sometimes called liverleaf or "liverwort". It should not be confused with liverworts, which may also be called "Hepaticae". Some botanists include Hepatica within a wider interpretation of Anemone.[1][2]

Contents

Variety

Between two and ten species of Hepatica are recognised, with some of the taxa more often treated as varieties:

  • Hepatica nobilis - Common Hepatica
    • H. nobilis var. pyrenaica (H. pyrenaica) - Pyrenees
    • H. nobilis var. japonica (H. japonica) - Japan
    • H. nobilis var. nobilis - European Hepatica - Alps north to Scandinavia
    • H. nobilis var. pubescens (H. pubescens) - Japan
    • H. nobilis var. acuta (H. acutiloba or Anemone acutiloba[3][4]) - Sharp-lobed Hepatica - North America[5][6]
    • H. nobilis var. obtusa (H. americana or Anemone americana[7][4]) - Round-lobed Hepatica - North America[8][9]
  • Hepatica transsilvanica - Carpathian Mountains and Transylvania

Cultivation

Hepatica cultivation has been popular in Japan since the 18th Century (mid-Edo period), where flowers with doubled petals and a range of colour patterns have been developed [10].

Hepatica transsilvanica

Noted for their tolerance of alkaline limestone-derived soils, Hepatica may grow in a wide range of conditions; it can be found either in deeply shaded deciduous (especially beech) woodland and scrub or grassland in full sun. Hepatica will also grow in both sandy and clay-rich substrates, being associated with limestone. Moist soil and winter snowfall is a requirement; Hepatica is tolerant of winter snow cover, but less so of dry frost.

Hepatica reaches a height of 10 cm and produces hermaphroditic flowers from February to May. The leaves are basal and dark leathery green, each with three lobes. The flowers may be white, bluish purple or pink; they are supported singly on hairy, largely leafless stems. Butterflies, moths, bees, flies and beetles are known to act as pollinators for Hepatica.

Hepatica is named from its leaves, which, like the human liver (Greek hepar), have three lobes. It was once used as a medicinal herb. Owing to the doctrine of signatures, the plant was thought an effective treatment for liver disorders. Although poisonous in large doses, the leaves and flowers may be used as an astringent, demulcent for slow-healing injuries and as a diuretic [1].

Gallery

Search Wikimedia Commons Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Hepatica nobilis

Hepatica nobilis

Hepatica nobilis

Hepatica nobilis

References

  1. ^ a b John Uri Lloyd & Curtis G. Lloyd (1884–1887). "Drugs and medicines of North America: Hepatica". http://www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/dmna/hepatica.html. 
  2. ^ Sara B. Hoot, Anton A. Reznicek, Jeffrey D. Palmer (Jan. - Mar., 1994). "Phylogenetic Relationships in Anemone (Ranunculaceae) Based on Morphology and Chloroplast DNA". Systematic Botany 19 (1): 169–200. doi:10.2307/2419720. http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0363-6445(199401%2F03)19%3A1%3C169%3APRIA(B%3E2.0.CO%3B2-O. 
  3. ^ "24. Anemone acutiloba (de Candolle) G. Lawson". Flora of North America. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233500048. 
  4. ^ a b Alan S. Weakley (April 2008). "Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia, and Surrounding Areas". http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/flora.htm. 
  5. ^ Slattery, Britt E., Kathryn Reshetiloff, and Susan M. Zwicker (2003). "Hepatica nobilis var. acuta". Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping: Chesapeake Bay Watershed. http://www.nps.gov/plants/pubs/chesapeake/plant/289.htm. 
  6. ^ "Taxonomic Serial No.: 528378". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=528378. 
  7. ^ "25. Anemone americana (de Candolle) H. Hara". Flora of North America. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233500049. 
  8. ^ Slattery, Britt E., Kathryn Reshetiloff, and Susan M. Zwicker (2003). "Hepatica nobilis var. obtusa". Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping: Chesapeake Bay Watershed. http://www.nps.gov/plants/pubs/chesapeake/plant/6778.htm. 
  9. ^ "Taxonomic Serial No.: 528379". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=528379. 
  10. ^ Jon Ardle (2000). "Layers of Complexity". The Garden (Royal Horticultural Society). http://www.rhs.org.uk/Learning/publications/pubs/garden_98-00/pubs_journals_garden_0200_layers.asp. 

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Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/.  Read more
WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Hepatica".  Read more