40 



MISC. PUBLICATION 77, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



LIVERLEAF 



(1) Hepatica americana Ker. (fig. 73); (2) H. acutiloba DC. 



Other common names. — (1) Round-leaved hepatica, common liverleaf, 

 kidney liverleaf, liverwort (incorrect), noble liverwort, heart liverwort, three- 

 leaved liverwort, liverweed, herb trinity, golden trefoil, ivy flower, mouse-ears, 

 squirrel cup; (2) heart liverleaf, acute-lobed liverleaf, sharplobe liverleaf, sharp- 

 lobe hepatica. 



Habitat and range. — The common liverleaf is found in woods from Nova 

 Scotia to northern Florida and west to Iowa and Missouri, while the heart liver- 

 leaf occurs from Quebec to Ontario, south to Georgia (but rare near the coast), 

 and west to Missouri and Minnesota. 



Description. — The hepaticas are among the earliest of our spring flowers, 

 blossoming about March and frequently sooner. They grow only about 4 to 

 6 inches in height, with leaves produced from the rootstocks on soft, hairy stalks 

 spreading on the ground. The thick and leathery evergreen leaves are roundish 

 or kidney-shaped. The bluish to purple or white flowers are about half an inch 

 in diameter and are borne singly on slender, hairy stalks arising from the root. 



The heart liverleaf is very similar to the common liverleaf, but has sharp 

 leaf lobes while those of the common species are very blunt. 



Part used. — The leaves of both species, collected in April. In limited demand 

 only. 



Liverleaf (Hepatica americana) 



Figuke 74.— Lobelia {Lobelia inflata) 



LOBELIA 



Lobelia inflata L. (Fig. 74.) 



Other common names. — Indian-tobacco, wild tobacco, asthma weed, gagroot, 

 vomitwort, pukeweed, emetic herb, bladder pod, low belia, eyebright. 



Habitat and range. — Lobelia may be found in sunny places in open woodlands, 

 old fields and pastures, and along roadsides in the eastern United States and 

 Canada, and west to Kansas, Arkansas, and Saskatchewan. 



Description. — Lobelia is a poisonous plant with a milky juice. Its stem, which 

 has but few branches, is smooth above while the lower part is rough and hairy. 

 The lower leaves, which are about 2 inches in length, are borne on stalks, while 

 the upper, smaller ones are stemless. The pale-blue flowers, which appear from 

 summer until frost, are numerous, but very small and inconspicuous. The 

 flower has an upper and lower lip, the latter being divided into three lobes and the 

 upper one into two. The inflated seed capsules are nearly round and contain 

 very numerous extremely minute, dark-brown seeds. 



Part used. — The leaves and tops, not including too much of the stemmv 

 portion. The material should be collected after some of the capsules have become 

 inflated and carefullv dried in the shade. In reasonably constant demand. 



