sharp-lobed hepatica

Sharp-lobed hepatica is an erect, perennial forb that rises from ascending to horizontal rhizomes.

In early April it can be identified by the pointed, purple, three-lobed leaves laying flat on the ground. These are leaves that have overwintered from the previous year. The name hepatica is Latin for liver, and refers to the shape and color of the leaves, which resemble the human liver.

After the flowers have bloomed 3 to 15 new leaves emerge from the base on slender, densely hairy, 2″ to 8″ long leaf stalks. The leaves are ⅔″ to 2¾″ long, ¾″ to 4″ wide, and palmately divided into 3 lobes deeply cut to well below the middle of the blade. The base of the leaf is heart-shaped, broadly rounded and indented where the leaf attaches to the leaf stalk. The lobes are broadly oval to egg-shaped and pointed at the tip. The terminal lobe length is 70% to 90% of the total leaf length. The margins are untoothed. The upper surface is green, sometimes with purple mottles. The underside of the leaf is green or sometimes purple. When young both surfaces are densely hairy with long, soft, shaggy, unmatted hairs. As they age they become hairless or almost hairless.

By the time the flowers appear the overwintered leaves are dying back. The flowers are ½″ to 1″ wide and are born singly on densely hairy, leafless stalks. They have from 5 to 12 petal-like sepals (usually 6), 10 to 30 white stamens, and a green cluster of carpels at the center. The sepals are white, pink, or blue, egg-shaped or inversely egg-shaped. There are 3, sometimes 4, narrowly lance-shaped bracts with pointed tips subtending the flower.

2″ to 6″

White, pink, or blue

Round-lobed hepatica (Anemone americana) leaves are more shallowly divided into lobes with rounded tips. The terminal lobe length is 50% to 70% of the total leaf length. There are 3 broadly egg-shaped or elliptic bracts with rounded tips subtending the flower.

Dry to moist. Upland woods.

April to May

Sources

3, 4, 5, 7, 24, 28, 29, 30.

Native

In 2011 there were several scientific names for sharp-lobed hepatica used by authoritative taxonomic sources. Years later the situation has not improved, and a few of the names have changed since 2022. Here are several “authoritative” taxonomic sources – and Wikipedia – and their sceintific name for sharp-lobed hepatica as of 5/30/2025.

BONAP: Hepatica nobilis (BONAP does not list subspecies or varieties)

Catalogue of Life: Hepatica acutiloba

Encyclopedia of Life: Hepatica nobilis var. acuta

Flora of North America: Anemone acutiloba

GBIF: Hepatica acutiloba

Gleason & Cronquist (1992): Hepatica acutiloba

GRIN: Anemone acutiloba

Illinois Wildflowers: Hepatica nobilis var. acuta

iNaturalist: Hepatica acutiloba

ITIS: Anemone acutiloba

Michigan Flora (Voss): Hepatica acutiloba

Minnesota Flora (Chadde): Hepatica acutiloba

Missouri Plants: Hepatica acutiloba

MnTaxa: Anemone acutiloba

NatureServe: Anemone acutiloba

NCBI: Hepatica acutiloba

Plants of the World Online: Hepatica americana var. acuta

Steyermark’s Flora of Missouri (Yatskievych): Anemone acutiloba

USDA PLANTS: Hepatica nobilis var. acuta

Wikipedia: Hepatica acutiloba

Wisflora: Anemone acutiloba

World Flora Online: Hepatica acutiloba

Plant

Plant

Plant

Plant

White flower

White flower

Pink flower

Pink flower

Blue flower

Bud

Leaves

Leaves

Leaves

Hepatica acutiloba (Sharp-lobed Hepatica)
Allen Chartier

march28 video Sharp Lobed Hepatica ,Hepatica nobilis
evansmedia1

Sharp-Lobed Hepatica (Hepatica nobilis acuta)
wvoutdoorman

Sara Brice
5/29/2025

Location: Rice County

Location: Whitewater WMA, Main Branch Unit

Location: Steele County

Location: Rice Lake SP, Steele Co, MN