Anemone hepatica
Anemone hepatica | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Ranunculales |
Family: | Ranunculaceae |
Genus: | Anemone |
Species: | A. hepatica
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Binomial name | |
Anemone hepatica | |
Synonyms[1] | |
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Anemone hepatica (common hepatica, liverwort,[2] 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, but the latest phylogenetic studies of many species of Anemone and related genera[3] indicate that species of the genus Hepatica should be included under Anemone because of similarities both in molecular attributes and other shared morphologies.[4] The circumscription of the taxon is also debated, some authors listing the North American var. acuta[5] and var. obtusa[6], while other list them as the separate species A. acutiloba and A. americana, respectively[7].
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+3⁄4–3+1⁄2 in) wide and 5–6 cm (2–2+1⁄4 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.
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Plants
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Plants
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Flowers
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Close-up of pistils in the center of the flower
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Flower base with green bracts
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New leaves in spring
Ecology
Hepatica flowers produce pollen but no nectar. In North America, the flowers first attract Lasioglossum sweat bees and small carpenter bees looking in vain for nectar. Then when the stamens begin to release pollen, the bees return to collect and feed on pollen. Mining bees sometimes visit the flowers, but prefer flowers that produce both nectar and pollen.[8]
Distribution and habitat
It is found in woods, thickets and meadows, especially in the mountains of continental Europe, North America and Japan.
Varieties
Varieties of Anemone hepatica that are sometimes recognized include:[1]
- Anemone hepatica var. japonica – Asian liverleaf, native to Japan[9]
- Anemone hepatica var. acuta (syn. A. acutiloba) - sharp-lobed hepatica, native to Eastern North America
- Anemone hepatica var. obtusa (syn. A. americana) - round-lobed hepatica, native to Eastern North America
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Asian liverleaf (Anemone hepatica var. japonica)
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.[10]
Political associations
It is the official flower of the Sweden Democrats political party in Swedish politics.
References
- ^ a b "Anemone hepatica L." Tropicos. Missouri Botanical Gardens – via The Plant List. Note that this website has been superseded by World Flora Online
- ^ Horace Kephart (1936). "Early Spring Flowers of the North Carolina Mountains". The Journal of the Southern Appalachian Botanical Club. 1 (7): 77–83. doi:10.2307/4031043. JSTOR 4031043.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Dutton, Bryan E.; Keener, Carl S.; Ford, Bruce A. (1997). "Anemone". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 3. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
- ^ "Anemone hepatica var. acuta (Pursh) Pritz. — The Plant List". www.theplantlist.org. Retrieved 2019-07-25.
- ^ "Hepatica nobilis var. obtusa (Pursh) Steyerm. — The Plant List". www.theplantlist.org. Retrieved 2019-07-25.
- ^ "GRIN-Global Web v 1.10.5.0". npgsweb.ars-grin.gov. Retrieved 2019-07-25.
- ^ Heather Holm (2014). Pollinators on Native Plants. Minnetonka, MN: Pollinator Press. pp. 140–141.
- ^ "Anemone hepatica var. japonica - Hortipedia". en.hortipedia.com. Retrieved 2019-07-25.
- ^ Howard, Michael (1987). Traditional Folk Remedies. Century. pp. 161–2.
- Pignatti, S. (1982). Flora d'Italia. Vol. 1. Edagricole. p. 277.