Intermediate forms and the cf. designation
Usually, Hepatica acutiloba and Hepatica americana are found in distinct habitats but there are zones where they overlap and intermediate forms (hybrids) can be found, which like others have stated, “are impossible to assign to one or the other of the two species”.
It is not very often that they are found growing together, but when they are, things became complicated; better said wonderfully complicated.
Quote from Flora of Michigan: “When the two hepaticas do grow together, intermediate leaf shapes are only rarely found, although what they mean has not been fully investigated”.
I agree, it hasn’t been investigated and hybrids are not recognized at the moment. Or are they? In any case, there is no way of knowing for sure if some forms are hybrids or just variations from the species without a molecular study.
This being the case, sometimes I will use the cf. designation for such specimens. What does cf. means?
Coming from the Latin – confer or compare (with), cf. it is used with the meaning that the specimen has most of the defining features of the species indicated, but it is slightly different.
For the record, a few specimens thought to be intermediate will be presented below.
Seeds were offered for some, and of course no one can tell how the off springs will look-like; but it is good to keep records of the provenience. To avoid confusions seeds are not collected anymore for such specimens.
Hepatica cf. acutiloba fo. diversiloba B16
After the foliage it looks like a H. acutiloba fo. diversiloba. I found upon a closer look one year that some flowers are actually unisexuate or have non-functional anthers; they also have a nice fragrance.
Hepatica cf. acutiloba f. diversiloba B16
Hepatica cf. acutiloba f. diversiloba B16
Hepatica cf. acutiloba pink
I cannot decide about this pretty pink form if it should be called H. acutiloba….The leaves shape don’t qualify entirely for acutiloba.
Hepatica cf. acutiloba pink
Hepatica cf. acutiloba pink
One more recent pink ‘trouble’ from the specimen below, that was called Hepatica ‘Pink Encounters’.
The foliage would qualify it more or less for Hepatica americana, but the brownish color of new foliage in the spring is very characteristic for H. acutiloba. Also, very few seeds were formed, so I wonder if the reproductive parts are functional. It certainly needs more attention in the coming years. For now it remains a pretty pink encounter :)
Hepatica ‘Pink Encounters’
