Anemone hepatica
| Anemone hepatica | |
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| Species: | A. hepatica
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| Anemone hepatica | |
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Anemone hepatica (= Hepatica nobilis; Common Hepatica, liverwort, kidneywort, pennywort) is a herbaceous perennial growing from a rhizome in the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae), native to woodland in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
Taxonomy
The taxonomy of the genus Anemone and its species is not fully resolved. Anemone hepatica was formerly known as Hepatica nobilis Schreb., under the genus Hepatica, based on differences from Anemone — the three bracts below the sepals and lobed rather than cut, evergreen leaves. But the latest phylogenetic studies of many species of Anemone and related genera[1] indicate that Hepatica should be included under Anemone because of similarities both in molecular attributes and other shared morphologies.[2]
Description
Anemone hepatica grows 5–15 cm (2–6 in) high. Leaves and flowers emerge directly from the rhizome, not from a stem above ground.
The leaves have three lobes and are fleshy and hairless, 7–9 cm (2.8–3.5 in) wide and 5–6 cm (2.0–2.4 in) long. The upper side is dark green with whitish stripes and the lower side is violet or reddish-brown. Leaves emerge during or after flowering and remain green through winter.
The flowers are blue, purple, pink, or white and appear in winter or spring. They have five to ten oval showy sepals and three green bracts.
Gallery
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Plants -
Flowers -
Close-up of a flower -
Flower base with green bracts -
Leaves
Varieties
- Hepatica nobilis Schreb. fo. lutea Kadota
- Hepatica nobilis Schreb. var. pubescens (M.Hiroe) Kadota
- Hepatica nobilis Schreb. var. acuta (Pursh) Steyermark (1960) (synonym = Anemone acutiloba (DC.) G. Lawson)
- Hepatica nobilis Schreb. var. asiatica (Nakai) H. Hara (1952) (synonym = Anemone hepatica var. asiatica (Nakai) H. Hara)
- Hepatica nobilis Schreb. var. japonica Nakai
- Hepatica nobilis Schreb. var. obtusa (Pursh) Steyermark (1960) (synonym = Anemone americana (DC.) H. Hara)
- Hepatica nobilis Schreb. var. pyrenaica (synonym = H. pyrenaica)
- Hepatica nobilis Schreb. var. pubescens (synonym = H. pubescens)
- Hepatica nobilis Schreb. var. hispanica Willk. & Lange.
- Hepatica nobilis Schreb. var. nobilis
The variety H. nobilis var. nobilis is native to Europe.
Contents
Like other Ranunculaceae, fresh liverwort contains protoanemonin and is therefore slightly toxic. By drying the herb, protoanemonin is dimerized to the non-toxic anemonin.
Herbalism
Medieval herbalists believed it could be used to treat liver diseases, and is still used in alternative medicine today. Other modern applications by herbalists include treatments for pimples, bronchitis and gout.[3]
Political associations
It is the official flower of the Sweden Democrats political party, in Swedish politics. In Swedish the flower is known as blåsippa.
Distribution and Habitat
It is found in the woods, thickets and meadows, especially in the mountains of the continental Europe.
References
- ^ Sara B. Hoot, Anton A. Reznicek, Jeffrey D. Palmer (January–March 1994). "Phylogenetic Relationships in Anemone (Ranunculaceae) Based on Morphology and Chloroplast DNA". Systematic Botany. 19 (1): 169–200. doi:10.2307/2419720. JSTOR 2419720.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Flora of North America
- ^ Howard, Michael. Traditional Folk Remedies (Century, 1987); p.161–2
- Pignatti S. - Flora d'Italia - Edagricole – 1982 Vol. I pag. 277