387 
HEPATICA americana. 
American Hepatica. 
— 
POINANDRIA POLYGYNI4. 
Nat. ord. RANUNCULACER. Decand. syst. nat. 1. 129. Div. I. Ra- 
nunculacee Vere. Tribus I. Anemonee. 
HEPATICA. Involucrum 8-folium flori_ approximatum 1-florum, 
calyciforme, foliis integris; petala 6-9 duplici triplicive serie disposita. 
Stam. et germ. indefinita. Sem. ecaudata. 
Herbe perennes montane vernales; rad. fibrose; fol. radicalia petiolata, 
plurima & gemmis radicalibus squamosis orta, simplicia, 3-7-lobata, coriacea ; 
scapi plurimi, radicales 1-flori. Cupulze minime serrato-filamentos@ adsunt 
ad basin germinum observante cl. Schkuhrio. Decand. 1. c. 215. 
H. americana, foliis cordatis trilobis, lobis rotundatis obtusis integerrimis: 
petiolis scapisque pilosissimis. 
Hepatica triloba. 8. obtusa. Pursh amer. sept. 2. 391.—G. americana. 
Decand. loc. cit. 216. Nuttall gen. 2. 23. 
Anemone Hepatica. Michaux bor. amer. 1.119. Bigelow fl. boston. 135. 
Anemone foliis trilobis integerrimis. Gron. virg. ed. 2. 84. : 
Hepatica. Gron. virg. 61. 
Heparica 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 ¢riloba, 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. 
