Specimen record
Round-lobed Hepatica
Hepatica nobilis var. obtusa
Conservation note
Uncommon in Worcester County — collect only one specimen per population. Never dig up rhizomes.
Description
A small, early-blooming perennial of rocky deciduous woodlands. Hepatica flowers appear before its new leaves, rising through last year's persistent brown foliage. Flower color is variable, ranging from white to pale blue, lavender, or pink. The three-lobed evergreen leaves were thought to resemble the liver, giving the plant both its common and Latin names.
Identification tips
- 1Flowers with 6–10 petal-like sepals in white, blue, lavender, or pink
- 2Three rounded leaf lobes (distinguishing it from sharp-lobed hepatica)
- 3Previous year's leathery brown leaves persist at base through winter
- 4Fuzzy stems (peduncles) covered in silky hairs
- 5Grows in leaf litter on rocky, well-drained slopes
Specimen & preservation notes
Collect the entire rosette with old leaves attached for comparison to new growth. Press flowers face-down and note the color on the label, as pigments fade during drying. Handle gently — stems are delicate and snap easily.
Habitats
Collection calendar
| Wk | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||
| 4 |
Collection notes
Season check
Guide window is wider than observed records.
Flowering records: 116 iNaturalist observations, Massachusetts · Nearby: 27 observations within 25 km