Backyard and Beyond

Starting out from Brooklyn, an amateur naturalist explores our world.

As John Burroughs said, “The place to observe nature is where you are.”

Hepatica

Anemone americanaA single blooming Anemone in the leaf litter. But more are on the way.

Some interesting taxonomic issues raised by this one: The genus name for this spring ephemeral used to be Hepatica and some still think it is. Hepatica, meanwhile, is used as the common name; it’s also called Liverleaf or Liverwort. I’m not sure which species, A. americana or A. acutiloba, this particular one is (or is that H. american or H. acutiloba)? [I’m taking this info from Carol Gracie’s Spring Wildflowers of the Northeast.]

2 responses to “Hepatica”

  1. So beautiful. Hope for things to come.

  2. […] last we saw some blooming Round-lobed Hepatica, it was the white variety in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Over the weekend, we found a little cluster of the pink variation further north in Black Rock […]

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