387 



HEPATICA americana. 

 American Hepatica. 



POLYANDRIA POLYGYRIA. 



Nat. ord. Ranunculace.^ Decand. syst. nat. 1. 129. Div. J. Ra- 

 nunculacea? Vera. Tribus II. Anemonese. 



HEPATICA. Invalucrum 3-folium flori approximatura 1-flomns, 

 calyciforme, foliis integris; peiala 6-9 duplici triplicive serie dispogita. 

 Slant, et germ, indefinita. Sent, ecaudate. 



Herbae perennes montance vemales ; T&A.jibrosce ; t bl. radicalia petiolata, 

 plurima e gemmis radicalibus squamosis orta, dmplicia, S-1-lobata, coriacea; 

 scapi plurimiy radicales l-Jlori. Cupulae minima serrato'jUamentosa adtunt 

 ad basin germinum observance cl. Sckkuhrio. Decand. 1. c. 215. 



H. amertcana, foliis cordatis trilobis, lobis rotundati's obtusia integerrimis: 

 pettolis scapisque pilosissimis. 



Hepatica triloba. /3. oblusa. Pursh amer. sept. 2. 391.—/?. americana. 



Decand. Inc. cit. 216. Nuttatt gen. 2. 23. 

 Anemone Hepatica. Michaux bor. amer. 1. 119. Bigelotojl. boston. 135. 

 Anemone foliis trilobis integerrimis. Gron. virg. ed. 2. 84. 

 Hepatica. Gron. virg. 61. 



Hepatfca is at present constituted by a group of three 

 species, and has been very recently detached from Anemone ; 

 from which it is easily distinguishable by having the invo- 

 lucre near to the 'flower, not at a distance from it, and the 

 leaves of the involucre entire, not variously carved. 



We have no hesitation in recording the american plant 

 as a distinct species from the european triloba, to which 

 it has been generally appended for a variety. The lobes of 

 the leaves are rounder and less pointed in the american 

 plant, the flower-stem and leaf-stalks shaggily furred, the 

 whole altogether smaller and of different appearance. 



Found, according to Mr. Pursh, in woods, and on 

 hill-sides from Canada to Carolina; varying with blue and 

 with purple flowers. 



The drawing was taken at the nursery in Sloane 

 Square, from a specimen recently imported by Messrs. 

 Frasers. It has been kept in a garden-pot and sheltered un- 

 der a garden-frame; but we have no doubt it will do per- 

 fectly well in the open ground. 



