Sharp-Lobed Hepatica, Hepatica
acutiloba
Ranunculaceae or Buttercup Family
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Low plant of early spring Flowers with 6 petals (actually sepals) and many yellow stamens. Three sepal-like bracts occur below the flowers. Sepals may be blue, pink, white, purple, or lavender. Leaves have three lobes that are mottled with purple and sharp-pointed at the tips. Sometimes flowers may appear before the leaves. Rare in Wildwood, but can be seen in scattered places in the woods, especially on the western slope.
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The lovely flowers and mottled leaves appearing in early spring
are distinctive of the hepaticas. Round-lobed hepatica (Hepatica
americana) is also reported from the Park and differs in having
leaf lobes with rounded edges. To make things worse, hybrids
between the two species, with intermediate leaves are known, and
could be expected in the Park. At first glance, hepaticas
could also be confused with rue anemone, but that plant has very different leaves and often many more petals. |
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