Hepatica americana (DC.) Ker-Gawl.

Locations ofHepatica americana (DC.) Ker-Gawl. in Virginia

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Detail

Family
Ranunculaceae
Botanical Name
Hepatica americana (DC.) Ker-Gawl.
Common Name
Round-lobed Hepatica, Round-lobed Liverleaf
Synonym(s)
Anemone americana (DC.) H. Hara; Hepatica nobilis P. Miller var. obtusa (Pursh) Steyermark
Flora of Virginia Name/Status
Hepatica americana (DC.) Ker-Gawl.
Comments
FNA treats this as Anemone americana (DC.) H. Hara; it is also sometimes treated as var. obtusa of the Eurasian H. nobilis (A. hepatica).
Placement of our Hepatica spp. in Anemone by Hoot et al. (1994, Syst. Bot. 19: 169-200) is based on molecular phylogenetic studies which included only Hepatica americana. While technically "within" Anemone, Hepatica falls out in a peripheral position in the clade adjacent to the outgroup (Clematis). Previous nonmolecular studies have emphasized the unique morphology in Hepatica (position of involucre, stalked achenes, foliar characters, and absence of above-ground stem). These seem reason enough to maintain Hepatica at the level of genus pending more comprehensive phylogenetic studies.
Habitat
Mesic to dry upland forests, rocky woodlands, well-drained floodplain forests; nearly ubiquitous in mesic forests, more restricted to base-rich soils in drier habitats. Common in the mountains and Piedmont; infrequent in the Coastal Plain.
Native Status
Native

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