Sharp-lobed Hepatica, Hepatica acutiloba, Native Minnesota Wildflower plant, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

	Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
	Common Name	Scientific Name	Plant Family	Garden Location	Prime Season
	Sharplobe Hepatica and Roundlobe Hepatica	Hepatica nobilis Schreb. var. acuta (Pursh) Steyerm. and Hepatica nobilis Schreb. var. acuta (Pursh) Steyerm.	Buttercup	Woodland	Early Spring
Other names and notes	"Sharplobe" refers to the leaves with 3 deep lobes which are pointed on the ends of the lobes, as opposed to the "Roundlobe Hepatica" where the ends are more rounded. The leaves are deeply lobed on both types. Flowers can have 6 to 12 petal like sepals (6 is fairly common) and be up to one inch wide. The color can range from pure white to a pinkish or bluish blush. This ephemeral of early spring can be found solitary or in large groups on Hepatica Hill in the Woodland Garden on the west path. Botanical Note: There is some difference in the botanical name for these plants depending on the reference source as these plants have been undergoing a botanical reclassification. USDA, which is an early adopter of new classifications currently lists the scientific names given above.


Above: you see the leaves of Sharplobe Hepatica - Hepatica nobilis Schreb. var. acuta (Pursh) Steyerm.

Below: Examples of Roundlobe Hepatica -Hepatica nobilis Schreb. var. acuta (Pursh) Steyerm.

Notes: Eloise Butler's records show that she obtained plants of Sharplobe Hepatica as early as 1907 from the "Government Reservation" (Ft. Snelling area), again in 1908, 1910, and from the river bank near the Catholic Seminary in June 1911; and also on Oct. 2, 1917 and on several other occasions from the Fort Snelling Reservation area. She also obtained plants from Groveland Park in St. Paul in various years. Roundlobe was a later addition. Martha Crone set in additional plants in 1934, '35 and '36. Native to most counties in the SE quadrant of Minnesota.

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References: Plant characteristics are generally from sources 15, 16, 30, 31, 33. Distribution principally from W2 and also 30, 33 and W1. Planting history generally from 1, 4, 11. Other sources by specific reference. See Reference List for details.

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